If We Ever Meet Again
by Shitsuren69
Summary: AU. Mikado thought that the biggest event in his life was when the love of his life ran off with his best friend. This was, of course, before Selty invited him to Ikebukuro. Eventual ShizuoxMikado. Yaoi and Het. Prequel to Operator.
1. Of Betrayed Hearts and Broken Vows

In the end, I decided, "Why not?" This is a prequel to the story, _Operator_, but you don't have to read it to understand this story. In fact, this story will lead up to _Operator_. So if you've already read it, then you know how this story will end. Despite that, please enjoy this story!

Please note that this is AU. Mikado, Anri, and Kida just graduated from high school (and they went to the same school in a small town, NOT Ikebukuro). Everyone is older than they are in the anime. And yes, I'm basing this on the anime.

Please enjoy!

Warning: Eventual yaoi. AU. Based on Anime.

I don't own anything.

* * *

If one asked Ryugamine Mikado if he had a crush on someone, he would blush and stutter, much to his best friend's annoyance. It would take exactly fifteen minutes for Mikado to calm down long enough to say, "Maybe." And Kida Masaomi, the said-best friend, would throw his arms up in the air and exclaim, "You're hopeless!"

Watching this interaction, Sonohara Anri, a cute girl who hung around the two boys, would smile calmly or maybe giggle a bit. Then she'd say, "You two sure are close."

The two would look at Anri, one with a blush on his face and the other with a confident grin, and reply simultaneously, "Of course!"

And when Anri isn't looking, Kida would pull Mikado close and whisper, "If you don't tell her, she'll fly away from you."

Mikado would glance at Anri and shake his head. "I can't tell her! I'm-"

"Graduation. You have to tell her then."

And by then, Anri would look over and the two boys would pretend the conversation never happened. The three would look at each other and all laugh. Because they were happy teenagers. Because nothing could go wrong in their world. Because the three did not have secrets from one another. They were just close friends hanging out.

That's how the three interacted with one another all through high school. And Mikado thought that would never change. But hope is a fragile thing. And things like friendship never lasted.

* * *

The first time Mikado and Masaomi met was in preschool.

Because of his outlandish name, Mikado was often subjected to bullying. After all, what kind of name was "Dragon Peak Emperor"? The other kids thought Mikado was trying to show off. That he was trying to brag to the world with his cool name. And the other kids, quick to jealousy, shunned Mikado. And the poor boy was too shy to do anything but cry.

"Why's there a guy crying here?" was Kida Masaomi's first words to Mikado.

Mikado's face flushed and he looked away from the other's eyes. "B-because!" Mikado said, trying not to let the tears fall from his eyes. "I have a weird name!"

"How so?" the other boy asked, leaning closely to Mikado's face.

"It… It means… Dr-dragon peak emperor…" Mikado said softly, allowing a single tear to escape his eyes. "And it's… embarrassing."

"Hey!" Masaomi exclaimed suddenly, surprising Mikado. The darker haired boy stared dumbfounded as Masaomi wrapped his arms around Mikado's shoulders. "Then aren't we perfect for each other?"

Not understanding, Mikado asked the blonde boy. The blonde boy tutted and wagged a finger at Mikado.

"Don't you know? I'm Kida Masaomi! The righteous vassal."

Mikado sniffed. "What does vassal mean?"

"No clue!" Masaomi answered with his usual bright happiness. "But mom said that if I ever find someone worth following, I should dedicate my life to them!"

By now, Mikado had stopped crying. He looked at Masaomi with wide eyes. "You mean like a… samurai?"

Masaomi brightened at the thought. "Hey! I like the sound of that! Done! You can be the Dragon Emperor, and I'll be your samurai!"

"It's actually Dragon Peak Emperor…"

Masaomi waved his hand as if the actual meaning was of little value. He then stared at Mikado expectantly. Mikado frowned. _What does he want from me? Maybe he's actually some sort of a bully. And he's going to make fun of me for believing him and...  
_

Noticing the hesitation, Masaomi dropped to one knee. And with his confident grin pasted on his face, Masaomi made a grand show of bowing to Mikado. "I, Kida Masaomi, swear my loyalty to the one and only Dragon Emperor!"

_It's Dragon Peak Emperor!_

Despite the error, Mikado couldn't help but to smile. _He's not a bad person_. "Thank you."

* * *

Everything began two weeks before graduation.

Mikado walked into the classroom just in time to see Anri and Masaomi stand close to one another. But as soon as they saw Mikado, they broke away from one another, as if trying to hide some evidence. Mikado wasn't too worried at first. After all, it was Masaomi, who had been his best friend since preschool. But when the two's dynamic didn't return to their usual ones, Mikado began to suspect something was up.

* * *

Mikado and Masaomi actually didn't meet Anri until freshmen year of high school.

The two had been a duo for a very long time. And they had never considered changing it. There was no one in the small town that interested them. They had each other and that was enough for the two boys. And in the small town that they've lived in, they were all ready rumored to be a strange pair. Not many bothered the two. Almost as if they were a curse to be around. After all, who wanted to catch their germs?

All this changed the day Anri moved into town.

"Hello, I am Sonohara Anri. Please treat me well," the girl had told the class on the first day of school. Her voice was so quiet that Mikado had to strain to hear it. But once he heard it, he couldn't get the voice out of his head. He couldn't get Anri out of his head.

"You little player!" Masaomi had exclaimed when he heard his best friend's dilemma. "Even though you have me, you're hitting on Sonohara-san!"

"What? What kind of talk is that?" Mikado said, trying to wave this uncomfortable notion away.

But Masaomi was relentless. He would somehow set things up so that Anri and Mikado would end up in awkward positions. So that the two would end up talking to one another, and some how interact. And before the two boys knew it, Anri became a critical part of their lives. The duo had opened up to a trio. And Anri welcomed this change.

Through their high school years, two things never changed. Mikado's crush on Anri never went away and Masaomi never broke his vow of loyalty. Or so Mikado thought.

* * *

It was official.

Mikado was worried for his two best friends. Every time the two were left to their own devices, Mikado noticed a strange interaction between them. There was tension between them that wasn't there before. Hushed whispers with one another and strained silence when Mikado entered the conversation. It was suffocating for Mikado. They didn't want him there.

The two were close, Mikado realized. More close than he would ever be to either of them. And the thought scared him. Whatever happened to their friendship? Weren't they supposed to be a trio? But more than anything, he was hurt. He wasn't good enough for their trust. He wasn't sure why, but they couldn't trust him. And that thought tore Mikado apart. They had a secret between the two that he would never know. Almost as if he must never know.

And Mikado had an inkling of an idea of what that secret might be.

* * *

"Masaomi!" Mikado called to his best friend one day during lunch break.

Usually, once lunch started, the three would gather together and go to the rooftop to eat their lunches. Recently, however, Anri and Masaomi would run off together before Mikado could catch up to them. So today, Mikado did the only thing he could think of. He skipped his class and waited for Masaomi in front of his class.

Masaomi, surprised by the sudden call, flinched. He turned and looked at Mikado, his face paling slightly. Then, he turned back around. Mikado frowned. That wasn't like Masaomi at all. Masaomi, whenever he saw Mikado, would always brighten and shout, "Mikado! Let's go hit on girls today!" What could have possibly happened to cause Masaomi to behave in such a manner? Whatever it was, Mikado did not like it at all.

"Is something wrong, Mikado?" Masaomi asked, turning back around with a goofy grin on his face.

_He's faking it…_

"Ah…" Suddenly, his throat felt dry and Mikado wasn't sure why he came there in the first place. He cleared his throat. Then began again.

"Do you want to go hitting on girls with me?" Mikado asked, his face turning red.

Masaomi's eyes widened. His mouth dropped open. Then with a shaky hand, he held up an accusing finger. "Who are you and what have you done to my beloved friend?"

Although this behavior was more like the Masaomi that Mikado knew, it felt cloying. Almost as if Masamoi wasn't sure how to be himself around Mikado anymore and was overdoing it. _Why are you like this? _Mikado dropped his pretense and got straight to the point.

"What's bothering you?" Mikado asked. "Why don't you talk to me anymore?"

Cold calm. That's how Mikado described it. Masaomi's face was calm with a cold expression that he'd never seen on his best friend's face before. Mikado unconsciously took a step back. _I've never seen him glare before…_ He gulped. _Is this really the Masaomi that I knew?_

Then all of a sudden, Masaomi's face softened. He looked down at the ground, avoiding Mikado's earnest eyes. "Sorry," he whispered. "It appears that I broke my vow. I'm sorry. But you won't be able to ask Anri-chan out on Graduation."

With that soft apology, Masaomi walked away from Mikado.

Mikado didn't know then, but that would be the last time he'd ever talk with the best friend that he knew since preschool.

* * *

There were many names people had for that year's graduation. One was Hellish Graduation, another was Bloody Graduation. There were a few other vulgar names, but Mikado didn't care about that. Because none of these names had anything to do with him. These names stemmed from a random teacher, whose corpse was found in the school's unused storage shed. There had been complaints from the students that there was an unusual stench coming from the shed. And when the janitors went to visit… well, they sure received a surprise.

But whatever name they gave it to the graduation, they forgot about two students. Two students who seemed to have disappeared during the brouhaha. Two students, without saying goodbyes to their families, disappeared. Two students, who without considering their friend, left him all alone in the small town that they've called home.

And much to Mikado's chagrin, he had been the one who was left behind.

* * *

-_Six Months Later…-

* * *

_

Mikado did not bother with college. He had always been certain that he, Anri, and Masaomi would go off traveling the world together after high school. All three of them had wanted to get out of the small town. So they had made travel plans together. They were supposed to have been in France by now. And by next week, they would have moved onto Belgium. They were going to visit all the famous landmarks. They were supposed to have…

_I live such a lame life…_

He had not moved out from his parent's house. He still lived in that small house that he swore he'd leave, as soon as he graduated. His room was still that small room upstairs. His closet, desk, and everything else remained the same. The only thing that actually changed was his collection of mangas, which seemed to grow daily. But otherwise, everything was the same. There was his computer there, same as always. And as same as always, he logged into his chat.

_Setton has logged on._

_Tanaka Taro has logged on._

**Tanaka Taro**: Hello.

**Setton**: Good afternoon.

**Tanaka Taro**: Is it just us today?

**Setton**: It appears so. Kanra-san said something about being busy, didn't she?

**Tanaka Taro**: Ah. That's true.

**Setton**: Are you feeling better?

**Tanaka Taro**: Yeah. Sorry for worrying you.

**Setton**: This isn't much but… would you like to meet offline?

* * *

His parents were worried about him. But Mikado couldn't tell them anything. Not about Anri and not about Masaomi. All they knew was that Mikado had retreated back to his shell. And despite their concern, they never voiced anything out loud. They were willing to trust Mikado. With that thought in mind, Mikado left the house that day to meet up with Setton.

* * *

**Setton:** Please don't be surprised, but I'm actually a girl.

**Tanaka Taro**: Eh? Really? I would've never thought!

**Setton**: And uh… this is rather embarrassing but…

**Tanaka Taro**: It's all right. I'll listen.

**Setton**: Well… See, I just got married and… well…

**Tanaka Taro**: Really? Congratulations!

**Setton**: Thanks. And… uh… I'm going on a honey moon with my husband and well… I'll tell you when we meet. Where and what time should we meet?

* * *

Mikado arrived at the park with time to spare. _Maybe I should have stopped by a manga shop._ He shook his head. Ever since graduation, Mikado had been coped up in his room, reading manga or chatting with Setton and Kanra. To say that he's completely caught up on few mangas would be an understatement. He had so much manga knowledge stuffed in his head that he couldn't help but to wonder how that was going to help him in real life.

Lost in his contemplation, he almost missed the shout of, "Watch out!"

Mikado ducked just in time to see a black motorbike fly over where he used to stand. He gulped. _If I hadn't moved…_

"Sorry about that," a guy said. He was wearing a black motorbike helmet with kitty years on them. He was wearing something akin to a lab coat. _Is he a scientist?_ "Are you Tanaka Taro?"

Mikado blinked. "Eh? Setton-san?" _I thought Setton was a girl..? _

"No, no," the guy said waving his hand. "I'm her husband. Setton-_chan_ is here."

Now that Mikado looked closer, the driver of the motorbike was obviously a girl. There was no way Mikado could miss or mistake that. She was wearing tight black leather, or what Mikado assumed was leather (He wasn't an expert on the topic but he figured he knew enough about it). And she had a yellow helmet with kitty ears on them. _Someone really likes cats_. And wha was interesting to Mikado was the fact that the driver had a cell phone out.

"Nice to meet you, Setton-san. I'm Tanaka Taro online, but my real name is Mikado," Mikado said, politely bowing.

Setton typed something on her cell phone and held it up for Mikado to see.

_Nice to meet you. You can call me Selty._ _And this idiot next to me is called Shinra._

Mikado looked questioningly at the cell. Noticing the look, Selty took the phone back and typed more before showing it to Mikado.

_I can't talk. That's why I have to use this._

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Mikado said. "Uh… I'm sorry for getting straight to business, but… why did you want to meet me today?"

Selty scratched her helmet, as if she was embarrassed by what she was about to type. Seeing this, her husband spoke up. "Ah, Selty and I just got married."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. And, well… we're going on a honey moon, see? But we decided to visit Selty's homeland and travel around for a while as well. And all this traveling… well… it's bound to take a long time," Shinra said, waving his arms around to emphasize his points.

Mikado nodded, confused. "I still don't see what that has to do with me."

Despite the fact that Shinra was wearing a helmet, Mikado could feel the older man's grin. Selty smacked her helmet. "What do you think will happen to our living quarters if it was left empty for a long time?"

Mikado blinked. _He's not saying…?_

"That's right! It's going to get dusty! So what I'm offering is simple. Go to Ikebukuro! I'll allow you to stay at our place until we return. But you have to keep everything clean and neat, got it?"

Selty shook her hands in front of her as if to denying all of this.

_I just thought that you'll be lonely here by yourself. Didn't you say you wanted to travel? It's not much, but Ikebukuro is a large city. You'll be able to restart your life.  
_

Mikado's eyes widened at the text. _Someone cares…_ "Ah.. but I couldn't possibly intrude!"

"Don't worry!" Shinra exclaimed. "We won't be there! Just make sure to keep everything clean. Especially the computers."

Selty bowed her helmet a bit, as if to apologize. _You don't have to accept if you don't want to_, she typed on her cell.

But Mikado's brain was reeling. Go to Ikebukuro? Ikebukuro was a place he's only heard of. A city of brilliant lights and people. Thousands of people lived and died there every day. It was a place where a country boy like him would easily get lost in. A place where he would easily be overwhelmed by. Besides, weren't there scary gangs in Ikebukuro as well? He wouldn't be able to adjust at all! Ikebukuro would be too different! Too big! Too violent! Too…

But did he want to stay here?

Mikado reflected back to his six months. Nothing but chatting online and reading manga. Every day, as if he was some sort of a robot. Nothing new, nothing changing. Always stuck in that same time period. Waiting for his two friends to come back. Waiting for Masaomi to come to him and say, "You should've seen the look on your face! It was a prank, stupid!" and for Anri to appear and apologetically bow while saying, "I'm sorry, Mikado-kun. But Masaomi-kun insisted."

But Masaomi and Anri were no longer there. And most likely, they would never come back to this town. After all, the three of them had been planning to leave...

He was alone. Alone in this small town that he didn't want to stay in. Alone in this giant world. Alone with nothing but the computer and few flimsy comic books to keep him company. Alone forever…

From the beginning, there had been one choice, really.

Mikado looked up with a determined glint in his eyes. "All right," he said. "I accept!"

And thus one Ryugamine Mikado sealed his fate.


	2. Of Violent Bartender and Unusual Dinner

Whoot! Thanks to yaoi-fun-fan and Lookoutthewindow! And just because you asked, no, Anri and Kida did not commit suicide. I'm sorry if people were expecting this to be angsty. But don't worry, the angst will come!

Without other ado… let's begin!

I don't own.

Recap: Anri and Masaomi have disappeared from Mikado's life. And to cheer him up, his good online friend Setton (aka Selty) invites him to go to Ikebukuro as a house-cleaner.

* * *

"Well, now that we have that out of the way," Shinra said, tossing Mikado a small envelope. "We should probably give you some advice and stuff, right?"

Mikado gulped. _Well, I am going to a brand new place. It'll be nice to be equipped with some knowledge._

"First off," Shinra said, holding up a finger. "Always wait three minutes before digging into your cup ramen. Even if you like your ramen crunchy, it's not good for your stomach to eat it like that."

_Wait… what?_

"Secondly," Shinra held up another finger. "If you ever feel sick, take the day off. Nothing's worse than sick people who show up to work and contaminate everyone with their little sickness…"

"Uh… Shinra-san," Mikado began, unsure how to finish. How should he let this man know that he didn't need to know such 'knowledge'? Selty motioned for Mikado to allow Shinra to finish. _He probably has something important he needs to say, _she wrote on her cell. Although knowing the man, she had her doubts.

"And thirdly!" Shinra exclaimed, in his own world now. "If you don't like someone, tell them so to their face! Never say anything dishonest to someone's face! Treat others' faces like your own! Even if you end up hurting someone, you must always remain faithful to the truth of the world!"

Selty shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. She then lightly smacked Shinra. _Calm down, you're not making much sense, _she typed to her husband. Then she turned to a confused Mikado. If Selty wasn't wearing a helmet, Mikado could've sworn that he saw her smile. Instead, Selty held up her cell. _Once you get to Ikebukuro, look for Heiwajima Shizuo. Mention my name and he should help you. He's a good person, so things should be okay._

_Peaceful island serene man? And I thought Masaomi and I had weird names._

"What a peaceful name," Mikado said with a small smile. "Thank you very much, Selty-san. Shinra-san. I'll take good care of your apartment."

With a polite bow, Mikado left the park. Watching the young teen leave, Shinra turned to Selty, a small frown forming on his face. Of course, it couldn't be seen because of the helmet, but Selty understood the seriousness of the situation.

"I know that Shizuo is nice to you, but isn't it a bad idea to introduce a young child to someone with a violent temper like Shizuo?"

Selty tilted her head. But she didn't grab her cell to write to her beloved. Even without her typing, Shinra understood what Selty wanted to say. He sighed. _As always, her trust in him is strong._ He couldn't help but to pout at that. "If you trust him that much," he grumbled, "Why didn't you marry him?"

If Selty could have, she would have laughed. However, the headless dullahan could do no such thing. Instead, she placed a hand on Shinra's shoulder. _You are the one I love, Shinra_, she thought. You _and no one else._ And despite the fact that she hadn't said a single word, Shinra understood what his wife wanted to say. And really, who could say no to such a sweet fairy?

"Well, at least we didn't recommend Izaya! Now that would have screwed the kid over!"

* * *

The metro ride was uneventful and boring. Mikado sat on an available seat when he could and stood up for the elderly and little kids. He didn't talk to anyone near him, and no one talked to him. In fact, not even a pervert offered him any enjoyment, for there was none around. Weren't there supposed to be shameless chikans groping girls on metros? If it weren't for the fact that his phone could text, Mikado would have lost his mind. Thankfully for him, Kanra was now logged on.

_Kanra has logged on._

_Tanaka Taro has logged on._

**Kanra**: Did you hear the good news? Setton-san got married!

**Tanaka Taro**: Yes. I've heard. I'm very happy for him.

**Kanra**: Kyyyaa! So cool! I want to find someone special, too!

**Tanaka Taro**: Is having someone special that great?

**Kanra**: Tanaka Taro-san, you're as innocent as ever! Of course it is! You never have a lonely night, after all…

Mikado blushed at the comment. _Kanra-san can be really shameless sometimes…_

**Tanaka Taro**: Ah, I should mention that I'm moving to Ikebukuro now.

**Kanra**: Eh? Really? Right now?

**Tanaka Taro**: Yes. I was invited by a friend. What's something I should check out there?

**Kanra**: Well… There is an old legend…

**Tanaka Taro**: A legend?

**Kanra**: You've never heard of it, Tanaka Taro-san? It's the story about the Black Bike.

Mikado paused. A black bike? Didn't Selty ride one? He chuckled at the thought. _No way! Kanra-san can't be talking about Selty!_

**Kanra**: Of course, the Black Bike won't be in town for a bit.

**Tanaka Taro**: ? What do you mean?

**Kanra**: Noooothing! Well if you want somewhere cool to go, you can always go to Sunshine!

**Tanaka Taro**: Sunshine?

**Kanra: **It's an amusement park with ninja town and an aquarium. A great place to go with a girl. *wink*

Mikado chuckled softly again. _Kanra-san really knows how to have fun. _ When Mikado chatted with Setton, there were more serious discussions. Almost as if Setton was looking out for him like a brother. Of course, now that Mikado knew that Setton was a girl, he supposed Setton was more like an older sister. But when Mikado chatted with Kanra, he couldn't help but to wonder if that's what it felt like dating a girl. Kanra was easy to talk to. Someone who just brought out the smiles that Mikado had thought disappeared with Anri and Kida.

"Now arriving at Ikebukuro."

Mikado re-focused on real life.

**Tanaka Taro: **Sorry. It appears that I've arrived there.

**Kanra**: Is that so? Then let me give you one warning. Be careful not to exit towards the East Entrance once you get off.

Mikado frowned. _What…?_

_Kanra has logged off._

_So Kanra-san also lives in Ikebukuro? I wonder if Kanra-san knew Setton-san…_

Mikado shook his head. _Now's not the time to think about that! I have to find this Heiwajima-san!_ With that thought in mind, Mikado picked up his duffel bag. The best thing about being near lifeless for six months was that he had little to nothing to pack. Besides, he was moving into someone else's home. Surely they had things for him to use! Especially since Shinra and Selty didn't look like they were carrying much.

Well, whatever happened happened. And Mikado , despite being poorly prepared, felt he could take on the whole world as long as he wasn't alone.

* * *

"Let's see… East exit is that way… so I should go towards the west exit!" Mikado mumbled to himself as he fought his way through the crowd. _Eh? Is it only me or is everyone going away from the east exit?_

Now that he stopped and focused, Mikado could see terrified expressions on people's faces as they practically ran away from the east exit. Seeing this, Mikado couldn't help but to be interested. What could possibly be at the east exit to scare away this many people? And what could possibly be there to make Kanra warn Mikado to stay away? Still, Mikado hesitated. It wasn't as if he could do anything about it. He was just curious. Going to the east exit didn't mean a single thing.

Mikado heaved a sigh. _I'll just follow the crowd and…_

"Did you see?"

"That Heiwajima Shizuo scares me so much!"

_Heiwajima Shizuo?_ Mikado instantly focused his attention in this conversation.

"I know! I can't believe he threw a lamp at them! I mean, I get that they're Yellow Scarves members, but still!"

Mikado fought his way through the crowd to the two girls, chatting excitedly. When he was finally in front of them, he gathered his courage. _Masaomi would be proud._ "Uh… excuse me. Is this… Heiwajima-san at the east exit?"

The girls looked at him, obviously annoyed at being torn from her conversation. But her annoyance calmed when she saw Mikado's helpless look. Suddenly, her motherly instinct kicked in. "Yeah. Kids like you should stay away from there," she said. "Wherever you have to go, even if you have to take a longer route, stay away from the east exit!"

_She called me a kid…_ Despite that, Mikado smiled nervously and nodded his thanks. "Ok!"

If Shinra knew, he would not be very happy. But Mikado had just lied to the girl's face.

* * *

Due to the fact that Mikado had to fight the crowd to get to the east exit, it took him some time to actually finally exit the building. But once he was outside, Mikado noticed with a small frown how empty the streets were. He gulped. _What was I thinking? I shouldn't be going towards danger! _But despite his mind's protests, Mikado found himself hypnotized. What was Ikebukuro like? And what were gang fights like?

"Ahhhhh!" the scream sounded as if the person was terrified. And that person was probably going to die soon.

Mikado paled at the sound. _Maybe I shouldn't be here…_

If Mikado had taken Kanra's and the girl's advices, this would have never happened. Some would argue that this was a terrible thing that occurred. That Mikado should have been a good obedient puppy and should have followed the advices. But others would disagree. They would state that this was the beginning of what many knows as "Romeo and Juliet Syndrome."

* * *

No one screamed, "Watch out!" No one screamed, "Look out!" or any combination of those warnings.

Thus nothing warned Mikado before a bulky guy with a yellow bandanna around his neck bumped into him. The bulky guy grabbed Mikado by his collar, snarling. Mikado blinked. His mind had enough time to formulate one word before the bulky guy raised his fist. _Crap._

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

Accompanying those three words, a rather large street sign rammed into the bulky guy's guts. Mikado could only stare with wide eyes as the bulky guy released Mikado and went flying off down the street. If the bulky guy survived that flight, Mikado figured that guy needed a break. But from the way the buy's neck was positioned, Mikado highly doubted that the guy survived.

_So this is fear…_Mikado gulped. His eyes slowly moved away from the mangled body and traveled towards where the sign had come from. _Do I really want to know who threw it?_

Almost as if this was a scene from a romance movie, the other person was standing in front of a sunset. Mikado mentally cursed as the sunlight blinded him. _I wanted to see who it was!_ Instead, Mikado looked away and pieced together what he knew. The person had a low voice, so it must be a male. And the person had just thrown a street sign, so he must be very strong…. Mikado paused. _Well… that certainly was a lot…._

"You!" the person shouted suddenly.

Mikado flinched. He looked around for who the person could possibly be talking to. _He doesn't mean me, right?_

He was wrong. The person was marching towards him, another street sign in one hand. Mikado's mouth dropped open. _He's not thinking of using that on me, right?_ He tried to use his vocal chords, but found that the neurons between his brain and his vocal chords had taken a temporary break. _You have got to be kidding me! I don't want to die!_

"I was just going to tell you to piss off, but you just had to go and do that, didn't you?" the person ranted, as he came closer to Mikado. "I told you didn't I? I don't freaking care about the Yellow Scarves!"

"Ah! Wa-wait!" Mikado exclaimed. "I… I'm not part of-"

"I don't give a crap! I told you not to piss me off!"

The poor teen could do nothing but watch as the street sign was raised high in the air. _I'm going to die?_ _But I haven't even started living in Ikebukuro yet!_ Time seemed to slow as the street sign began its journey down to Mikado's head. _But I didn't do anything cool with my life! I was just an average guy with a broken heart and-_ Mikado squeezed his eyes shut. _ I don't want to die!_

The blow never came.

Instead, Mikado heard a low voice with a strange accent say, "Shizuo, fighting bad."

Slowly, Mikado opened his eyes. A huge dark-skinned hand was holding the street sign, just a few inches above Mikado's head. _Ten years of my life just went down a drain…_ Then the teen watched helplessly as his rescuer and the strong man with a street sign began to argue.

"Damn it! Why do you always get in my way, Simon?"

At this point in time, Mikado realized that the one who tried to assault him was actually a bartender. He had some blood splatters here and there, but otherwise he looked like a normal bartender. Maybe it was the outfit. After all, not many people went around wearing bartender suits.

"Shizuo, stop fighting. Fighting bad."

The person who rescued Mikado was a giant. He had dark skin and seemed to have come straight out of a fairy tale. Mikado wondered where the person had learned Japanese, for it was obvious that Japanese was not his native language. _I wonder why he's here in Ikebukuro…_

"You keep saying that to me! Tell that to those Yellow Scarves! They started it!"

By now, Mikado realized something very important that Shinra and Selty forgot to tell him. _Heiwajima Shizuo was not a peaceful man._

"Uh…"

"Shizuo, eat sushi. Sushi good for anger."

"Ex… excuse me!"

Both Simon and Shizuo stopped and stared at the younger teen. The said teen flinched under the combined stare before gathering enough courage to say what was on his mind.

"Uh… are you really Heiwajima Shizuo-san?" Mikado asked.

Shizuo visibly twitched. "Who else would I be?" he snapped.

"Ah! Sorry! It's just… your name is so peaceful."

"You trying to start a fight, kid?" Shizuo growled. And he would have grabbed another item nearby to throw if it weren't for Simon's hand on Shizuo's shoulder.

"You don't have yellow scarf. Why you here?"

"Oh! Setton-san said- I mean, Selty-san asked for me to take care of her house," Mikado said, finally taking Shinra's third advice. "And she told me to look for Heiwajima-san for help. Something about him being a good person."

Shizuo wrinkled his nose. "Me for help? What's she thinking?" There was a small pause as Shizuo seemed to be in intense thought. Then suddenly, he threw his hands up with a frustrated growl. "Whatever! I'm leaving!"

"Ah! Wait!" Mikado shouted. He quickly turned to Simon and bowed to the bigger man. "Thank you very much for saving me!"

Simon waved his hand. "Come to Russian Sushi! Sushi good for you!"

With a smile, Mikado made his promise before running after Shizuo. The man, for whatever reason, actually did stop and was waiting for Mikado to quickly catch up. Mikado blinked. _How very uncharacteristic of him._ But he knew better than to say anything. After all, the taller man might blow off at him again.

Once Mikado was next to him, Shizuo walked wordlessly off. But after a few pace, he stopped and turned to look at Mikado. _Does he want me to follow?_ When the man didn't move an inch, Mikado assumed that was the case. _I hope he's not trying to take me somewhere away from Simon-san to beat me up…

* * *

_

Much to Mikado's surprise, Shizuo lead him through the twisting roads and streets of Ikebukuro to an apartment complex. Then Shizuo made his way through the complex, arriving at a door. He then turned to Mikado and waited expectantly. _Wait… is this Selty-san's place?_

He reached into his duffel bag and took out the envelope that Shinra had given him. Fumbling with it a bit, he finally grabbed the keys and clicked the door open.

_What an empty place…_

The young teen stared at the open hallway. He walked in, leaving the door carelessly open. Shizuo, frowning, closed the door and followed the teen in. Then Shizuo followed the teen as he made his way from room to room. The bartender overheard the teen muttering under his breath about cleaning supplies. Shizuo shrugged. _Strange kid._

Then finally, the two made their way to the kitchen. It was around dinner time, so Shizuo was starting to get hungry. He glanced at the kid. He was looking through the cabinet, looking at the china dishes. Shizuo frowned. _Isn't he hungry? _Figuring that the kid was too shy to look through food while he was there, Shizuo opened the fridge. Then cursed Shinra.

_What kind of an idiot invites a kid to do housework and then not stock up the fridge?_

"We're going out," Shizuo declared suddenly.

Mikado flinched at the sudden sound. _Huh? Since when was Heiwajima-san in the house, let alone the kitchen? And why is the fridge open? And what does he mean, "We're going out"? _The boy just stared blankly at Shizuo, much to the older man's annoyance.

He grabbed Mikado's arm. "I said we're going out."

Suddenly, Mikado's mind jumped to his good friend, Masaomi, who liked to hit on every single girl he met. Perhaps it was the blond hair or perhaps it was the perverse language. Mikado wasn't so sure why Mikado suddenly remembered his friend, but now he couldn't get the implication out of his mind. Mikado's face turned red. "B… but! We… we just met!" Mikado exclaimed, trying not to feel like a protesting girl. "And… I'm a _guy_!"

There was a slight pause as Shizuo registered what the smaller teen was saying. And as soon as he realized the implications, he quickly released Mikado, his face also turning red. "D… don't just assume random crap! I meant to eat! Let's go eat something!"

"Oh… oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" Mikado cut himself off as his face turned a darker shade of red. _Talk about embarrassing! I can't believe I made that mistake!_

"Whatever. I'm hungry," Shizuo growled before turning for the door.

Mikado glanced over at the open fridge. It, like the most of the apartment, was empty. _Just what did Shinra-san and Selty-san eat?_ He quickly ran to catch up to the bartender. "Ah! Wait, Heiwajima-san! I'm hungry as well!"

Just like last time, Shizuo waited patiently for Mikado to catch up. With a relieved smile, Mikado reached into his pocket. "Is there something good I can eat for-" he paused when he realized something rather terrible. Mikado stopped. He then checked his back pockets. He then checked his front pockets. Then he grabbed his duffel bag and looked through it. _How did this happen…?_

"What's wrong?" Shizuo asked, looking mildly annoyed.

"Ah…. it appears that I forgot to bring my wallet…"

Shizuo twitched. Mikado gulped. _Please don't kill me!_ Surprisingly, the bartender reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. Muttering something darkly under his breath, he motioned for Mikado to follow him. Mikado stared at the older man's back. _He's going to hurt me, isn't he?_

"Are you coming or not?" Shizuo snapped, once he realized that Mikado was not behind him.

Mikado flinched. "I… I'm coming but… I don't have any money!"

Shizuo growled. "I know," he grinded.

By now, the smaller teen decided that it would be wise for him to stop talking. So instead, he locked the apartment and followed silently behind Shizuo. Of course, following silently made Mikado think hard about his situation. He was following behind a hot-headed guy, who might snap at any given moment. The said guy said he was hungry. Mikado did not have any money, but the guy insisted that Mikado follow… Was Mikado the only one seeing something wrong with this picture?

_Maybe I should run…?_

But he quickly rejected the thought. Mikado was new to this town. Shizuo probably knew this town like the back of his hand. Especially judging from the way the older man navigated through the twists and turns of the city. Even if Mikado was to run somewhere, he would just end up lost. Not to mention he hadn't paid enough attention to get back to Selty's apartment. Now that he paused to think about it, Shizuo would be able to find him at the apartment, too. Mikado gulped. _My life doesn't look too good right now…

* * *

_

_Russian Sushi, _the sign read. Mikado blinked. _Isn't this the place that Simon said to come visit?_

"We're going _inside_," Shizuo growled, pulling Mikado by his collar.

Once Shizuo kicked the door open, every conversation inside the restraint ceased. Mikado blinked. _Heiwajima-san really is scary…_ But before he could think of anything else, Shizuo threw Mikado at a bar stool. He then sat himself down next to Mikado. Turning to Simon, he said, "The usual. And… give the kid something, too."

"Ah Shizuo! You're friends?" Simon asked, looking surprised at Mikado.

Chuckling nervously, Mikado straightened himself on the stool. "Something like that," he said. "Oh. Can I have whatever Heiwajima-san is having?"

"Sure! Sushi good for you," Simon said as he went off with the order.

"Eat as much as you want," Shizuo grumbled. "Just don't complain about the taste."

Mikado stared at the bartender. Currently, the blond man was looking away, his ears slightly red. Seeing this, Mikado changed his initial thought about the man. _He's not a bad person. Just… really awkward._ Mikado smiled.

"Uh…you know…"

Shizuo glanced at him, his eyes narrowing. "What?" he growled.

_Please don't snap!_

"I have a name. It's… Mikado."

The bartender scoffed at that. Mikado flinched. "It… it's not funny!"

"What kind of name is Mikado? What are you, a pocky?"

_He's joking with me now. _Mikado's smile turned brighter. 

_Maybe coming to Ikebukuro wasn't a bad idea at all! _


	3. Of Favorite Books and Odd Siblinghood

yaoi-fun-fan, Lookoutthewindow, Sissy, codename000, and Jedi Bag, thank you for your reviews! Sorry to say, Izaya won't be meeting Mikado for a while now. But they'll meet soon enough! And if you'd like, codename000, I can try my best to pm you an explanation. But I get the feeling that these two stories will explain themselves as they go on (or at least they're supposed to…).

I don't own.

Warnings: Possible spoilers in other fandoms. (_Shugo Chara!, Naruto, Gintama, Bleach, Captain Tsubasa, _and_ Death Note_)

Recap: Mikado realized that he has left his wallet at home, much to Shizuo's annoyance. Thus, the bartender has no choice but to buy the younger teen dinner!

* * *

Shizuo, who had finished eating a few minutes ago, glanced over at Mikado with a rather annoyed expression on his face. Mikado gulped. He had often been told as a child that he ate things slowly. Most adults told him that it was good for his health, but Masaomi was usually annoyed by it and often ate Mikado's meal for him, much to Anri's amusement. But the difference here was obvious. Masaomi was his friend. And Shizuo… Just what was Shizuo?

"Ah, I'm sorry Heiwajima-san," Mikado said quickly, afraid of Shizuo's temper. "You can leave, if you want…"

Shizuo considered this for a minute. The kid was offering to let him go. He can forget about the kid. Forget that he ever met him. Just walk away, never see him again…

"_And she told me to look for Heiwajima-san for help."_

Like he could do something like that! How could he abandon someone who came specifically looking for him for help? Things like this never just happened. Even if a certain dullahan planned it. Most of the time, people heard the name Heiwajima Shizuo and went running, often screaming as well, the other way. But this child, despite seeing his temper first-hand, did not run. In fact, he was sitting next to him, trying to start a conversation.

"Do you even know the way back?"

"Ah… that is…" Mikado stared at the sushi. Here, he could take Shinra's advice and tell Shizuo the truth, which most likely will annoy the older man. But if he told a lie, well… he wouldn't exactly make his way back to Selty's place in one piece… He decided that vagueness was his friend in this case. "I take bunch of turns?"

A vein popped visibly on Shizuo's face. "Don't be stupid! You don't even know the way back!"

His friend, vagueness, had betrayed Mikado.

The teen flinched. "S-sorry!"

Simon placed a hand on Shizuo's shoulder. "Shizuo, fighting bad," the Russian said again. "Eat more sushi." Then he turned to Mikado. "Eat slowly. Enjoy sushi."

And Mikado couldn't help but to smile at that. "Thanks, Simon."

"Hey Simon!"

Mikado turned to see who it was. There were four people there, three boys and a girl. The girl was wearing a cap and a black outfit. Next to her, a blond-haired man stood, chatting excitedly with her. The other guy was standing with a rather bored expression on his face. He was wearing a white collared button-down with a vest on top, making Mikado wonder how he pulled off looking so relaxed while wearing formal clothing. The last guy was wearing a black sweater with a black bandana around his head. And judging from the way he had his hand raised, Mikado assumed that he had greeted Simon.

"Oh! Welcome!" Simon said, releasing Shizuo. He then went over to the four.

Mikado supposed he should have gone back to his meal at this point in time. However, he heard something that he couldn't turn away from. Something, thanks to the six months of manga-reading, that only he and an extreme fan would be able to understand.

**(Spoiler)**

"I'm so proud of Amu! She faced Easter without wavering!" the blonde exclaimed, doing a small turn.

"I'm sure she'll get together with Ikuto. Just wait and watch!"

"No way! It's obvious Tadase is going to win her heart!"

_Actually, if you read the last chapter, none of them get together…_Mikado couldn't help but to think. By now, Shizuo was back to glaring at him, which cause Mikado to pick up a sushi and chew it slowly.

**(/End Spoiler)**

"Ahhhh! Why doesn't Aidokusho get a new worker? It would make restocking less of a nightmare!"

_Aidokusho…? Favorite books? Is it a book store? And they were talking about mangas earlier…_ Mikado glanced over at Shizuo, only to be graced with his angry face. He quickly focused back on the sushi. _I suppose getting a job is always the first step…_

"But they can't hire just anyone!" the girl protested. "They have to have a vast knowledge in manga!"

"In another words-" Here, the blonde looked at the girl, a grin stretching on his face.

"They have to be-" the girl continued, also grinning.

"An otaku!" The two of them shouted together, doing a random waltz in the middle of the restaurant.

_Eh? Don't I fit that bill perfectly?_

Their two friends, meanwhile, had secured a place to sit. "Erika, Walker!" the guy with bandana said. "Don't you want to eat?"

And before Mikado could ask them, the two ran towards the other two. But the seeds of desire were planted deeply in Mikado. _Aidokusho, huh?

* * *

_

Shizuo took Mikado to Selty's apartment, silent as always. Although Mikado was rather grateful for the silence, he couldn't help but to feel fidgety. Shizuo was a quiet man, and although he was rather awkward and had pretty bad temper, he was, as Selty had said, a good man. And Mikado kept feeling guilty. Shizuo shouldn't have to take Mikado around like this. Shizuo shouldn't have to buy him dinner. In fact, shouldn't it be Mikado buying the man dinner as a thank you? I mean, it was just bad manners for Mikado to continue leeching off of Shizuo like this!

"Ah… um… Heiwajima-san…" Mikado began.

Shizuo grunted. Mikado watched the man in front of him carefully. _How do I phrase this without making him angry?_

"Uh… thank you for today," Mikado finished lamely.

The man in front of him froze. Mikado swerved around the man to avoid running into him. The man slowly turned to face him and… _Is he blushing?_

"Don't… don't say such stupid things!" Shizuo snapped. "Of course I'll help you!"

"Ah… is that so?"

Shizuo twitched. "Are you testing me?"

"It's just… I…" Mikado hesitated again. _Do I dare say it?_ "I want to be able to treat Heiwajima-san, too…"

This time, there was no question. Shizuo was blushing furiously. Mikado took his time to engrave this imagine in his mind. Of course, this was because he thought he wouldn't live to see the man again. If he had known his future, he wouldn't have even bothered.

"You… don't worry about crap like that! You're a student, right? So just worry about your studies and keep Selty's place clean!" Shizuo snapped, refusing to meet Mikado's eyes.

"Uh… actually…" Mikado began; slightly worried that he might make Shizuo snap again. "I graduated."

There was sudden tension in Shizuo's shoulders. A dark aura surrounded him. Mikado took a step back. "Well… thank you again for tonight!" With that, Mikado ran for Selty's apartment complex, which was within sight now.

As he retreated, Mikado realized that he had forgotten to ask Shizuo to take him to Aidokusho.

_Drat! I'll have to get him in good mood first…

* * *

_

"_I want to be able to treat Heiwajima-san, too…"_

_Stop it. You don't know what you're saying._

"_Something about him being a good person."_

_Shut up. You don't know what you're saying._

"_Thank you for today…"_

_Aw screw it_.

Shizuo covered his head with his hands. Every time he tried to bring his focus back on real life, he kept hearing that kid's voice. That kid … _What was his name again? Something about a pocky_… Shizuo sighed. The problem, he knew, was with him. He normally didn't interact with people; rather, they didn't bother with him. It made sense. Other than Selty, who wasn't exactly normal, and Simon, who was freakishly strong, and Tom Tanaka, his senpai who gave him a job, no one stayed around him longer than they must. Of course, there were two more that he didn't name. One was his younger brother, who obviously had to stand next to Shizuo because they were brothers. The last one… well… let's just say that no one talked about him near Shizuo without breaking a bone.

"_Thank you for today…"_

There it was again! Shizuo kept hearing those words. He kept remembering the sweet smile. No one else ever made him feel like this. Most people, if they thanked him, he would just grunt and forget about them. But most people weren't recommended by Selty to be taken care of. And perhaps that's why Shizuo was trying so hard to focus on this kid. He wanted to remember the kid. He wanted to keep the kid's voice, his expressions, his whole being in his mind. That was why his body kept reacting strangely to the kid's words.

That was why this kid made him nervous. The kid flinched whenever he heard Shizuo's voice. Heck, the kid looked scared whenever he glanced over at Shizuo. However, the kid didn't run from him. Perhaps it was because the kid sincerely believed that no one else in Ikebukuro would help him. Or perhaps the kid just trusted Selty that much. Whatever the reason, the kid, despite being scared, stuck by Shizuo.

And as much as it scared him to admit it, Shizuo rather _liked_ being depended on.

_I'm so messed up…

* * *

_

Mikado awoke the next morning to the sound of knocking. It took him couple of minutes to remember that he was no longer home. And that the futon that he had slept in wasn't his. With a loud yawn, he slowly made his way to the door. _Selty-san didn't mention anything about early morning deliveries… is it a guest?_

_Click._

Without bothering to ask who it was, Mikado opened the door. And stared.

_Wha…?_

Mikado blinked. He then rubbed his eyes. Nope, the image before him was still there. He pinched his cheeks. _Ouch…_Nope, it wasn't a dream. Then that means… Mikado looked back up at the person waiting in front of the door. The person, who looked to be getting slowly angrier as the seconds went by. Mikado laughed nervously.

_Why?_

"G… good morning, Heiwajima-san," Mikado finally greeted the person in front of him.

The man, shaking lightly with anger, held out a bento. "Breakfast and lunch," he stated. "I'm going to be working, so keep yourself fed."

_Eh? He's feeding me?_ Mikado stared at the bento. _But why?_ Shouldn't Shizuo still be angry about last night? Shouldn't Shizuo feel cheated that Mikado had leeched a dinner off of him? Then why was the man with the bartender outfit standing there with a bento? Shouldn't it be Mikado on his hands and knees, begging Shizuo for forgiveness and help instead? Just how did everything get so screwed up?

With a frustrated growl, Shizuo thrust the bento in Mikado's arms. "Take it already!" Muttering darkly under his breath, Shizuo took out his sunglasses and placed them on. He then turned away from Mikado and began to walk away.

Then Mikado remembered his reason for wanting to meet Shizuo.

"Ah… wait Heiwajima-san! Could you please take me to Aidokusho book store?"

Shizuo paused in his step. Then he glanced back at Mikado. The said teen was wearing blue pajamas. Shizuo looked at the time on his cell. 9:46 AM. _I'm going to be late._

"Go get dressed."

* * *

"So you like books?"

Mikado's heart stopped beating for a second, causing the teen to wonder if he was about to suffer a heart attack. Was Heiwajima Shizuo really talking to him? But didn't the man usually just walk quietly? Mikado gulped. It must be the sunglasses. Yes, that was the only logical reason behind this.

"Ah… well… I overheard someone say that they have a job opening there," Mikado answered honestly.

Shizuo frowned at that, shutting Mikado up efficiently. After few minutes of walking in complete silence, Shizuo stopped in front of a small, homey-looking shop. He then held out his hand.

"Give me your cell. I'll put my number in there. If you need help, call. I'm getting off work at six, so I should probably be here around 6:30 PM to pick you up. Then we'll get a bite to eat. Until then, eat your bento."

The man in bartender outfit finished transferring the numbers and gave Mikado his cell back. He then raised his hand as a goodbye as he walked away. Mikado stared at Shizuo's back. _Why does he take such good care of me?_ _Is it because I mentioned Selty-san's name? Then… will he leave me too?_

With a heavy sigh, Mikado turned to face the book store. He gulped. _Okay… here goes nothing! _He pushed the door open, causing the wind chimes to ring. But Mikado wasn't listening to the wind chimes. He was taking in the book store. Many shelves, crammed with books, lined the walls. Few smaller shelves were away from the wall, with small displays on top of them. This whole place was a book heaven!

Then the furthest corner of the room caught Mikado's eyes. There were no shelves there. There were just heaps and piles of books. Mikado frowned. _Why is that part so different from the rest?_ He was so busy contemplating this question that he didn't notice the store owner appear by his side.

"Hello," the owner said. "New here? Go and take a look around."

"Oh! H-hello!" Mikado exclaimed. He quickly bowed. "I'm actually here for the job opening…"

There was a slight pause. The owner had seen Mikado before the teen made his way into the shop. This child hung around Heiwajima Shizuo. This child was not dead. That meant that Shizuo probably thought highly of this child. And if the owner was to make this child unhappy… well, wouldn't that automatically mean that Shizuo would be unhappy? And Heiwajima Shizuo was the last person on earth you wanted upset at you. Or perhaps he was the second to last. There was, of course, one other person who was equally, if not more, terrifying…

"You got the job!" the owner exclaimed, paling at the thought of an angry Shizuo. "You got the job!"

* * *

"This job is actually pretty lax," the owner said, trying to make the teen as happy as he could. "The store opens from 10 AM to 7PM, every weekday and Saturday. But you don't have to work every day the shop is open. You only need to show up four out of the six days. You're allowed two weeks of vacation per year… let's see, lunch break is usually thirty minutes and can be taken any time between 11AM and 1PM, depending on how busy we get... Am I forgetting anything?"

"What exactly would I be doing?"

"First of all, you'll help with the customers. And every Tuesdays and Thursdays, new books arrive from the publishing houses. That'll be your next task. You'll help me put the new books out and pack up the unpopular books to be sent elsewhere. Your third task will be to keep track of which books are popular with the customers and sort the books as such. Don't worry; I'll always be around so you can ask me for any help."

The owner stopped in his lecturing and stared at Mikado's face, horror filling his system. He had forgotten about the teen's ties and had gone on a long lecture about the job without a second thought. Much to his relief, however, the teen didn't look too angry or annoyed. In fact, he looked pretty happy with this job.

"Ok," Mikado said finally. "When can I begin?"

* * *

"We're coming here again?" Togusa complained when the book shop came into view. "But we just stopped by yesterday."

"Yeah," Erika agreed. "But they restock on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Kadota frowned at that. "But today's Wednesday."

"Exactly!" Walker exclaimed. "Until a new worker is hired, we have to show up to take care of the manga section!"

Both Kadota and Togusa shuddered at the remembrance of the pile of manga in the corner of Aidokusho store. _But didn't the two otakus cause that mess?_ The two sighed. Oh well. At least it'll keep the two occupied with something other than torture…

* * *

The door's opening was accompanied by the chimes of the wind chime. Erika and Walker imitated the sound as they walked in. And then they froze, a black aura surrounding them. Kadota and Togusa, confused as to why the two stopped in the doorway, peered around the two. And then understood.

There was a frail looking teenage boy in the manga section, trying to organize it. And… was that the Aidokusho apron that the kid was wearing? Oh dear lords. That kid was screwed.

Kadota and Togusa averted their eyes as Walker and Erika appeared next to the unsuspecting boy with murder in their eyes. They flanked the boy on either side. And with evil grins that could rival Shizuo on a rampage, they addressed the boy.

"So, New Boy, what are you doing in the manga section?" Walker began with a fake friendly voice.

Mikado, who was focused on the manga, only heard the friendly voice. "Ah, I'm sorry," Mikado said automatically. "It was just really messy here."

"Yes, we know," Erika said. "But what gives you the right to clean this place?"

Mikado finally stopped his work. He looked up at the two with a frown. "Isn't it the duty of a worker to clean this place?" He then blinked and slowly backed away when he realized that the two had rather… evil-looking eyes. _Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…_

"Well said!" Walker exclaimed. Then both he and Erika pointed their forefingers at Mikado's chest. "If you truly want to work here, you have to pass our test first."

Mikado's will wavered at that. "What kind of test?"

The two grinned. "Manga-related test, obviously!"

Here, Mikado couldn't help but to grin as well. "I'll take it."

* * *

The owner sighed happily as he returned from a bathroom break. _Hiring that kid was actually a good idea. _The kid was, surprisingly, a good worker. He never complained and was always polite. Not to mention he was adorable looking, causing many window-shoppers to actually step into the store. The kid was, however, very shy and couldn't hold conversations very well. Perhaps that was why Heiwajima Shizuo could stand him. The kid didn't speak much.

He walked back into the shop, very satisfied with today's work. He was about to call to Mikado to take a few minute rest, when he realized who was in the store. In the magazine section, Togusa was flipping through a magazine with Ruri Hijiribe on the cover. Next to him, a very bored looking Kadota leaned against a book shelf. And if those two were in the store, then…

**(Spoiler)**

"Why did Itachi kill the Uchia clan?" Erika demanded.

The owner groaned. He was so screwed. Heiwajima Shizuo would never forgive him if the two otakus hurt the kid! _Self, I knew you well…_

"That's easy. Because the Uchia clan was planning to overthrow Konoha village," Mikado answered easily. "So the Konoha Council ordered him to do so."

The owner blinked. Is the kid… answering the questions _right_?

"Alright, then why is Hijikata unpopular with the girls?" Walker demanded.

_Hijikata…? Uh… I read a manga with him in it. Something about aliens and samurais… aha! _"Because of his obsession with mayonnaise," Mikado answered. "He carries a whole bunch of objects shaped like mayonnaise jars."

"You're pretty good," Erika said. "But I bet you don't know this one! Who is held responsible for Ishida Soken's death?"

Mikado paused to think about this one. _I know that this is from Bleach. And since the last name is Ishida, he's probably a Quincy. But… who was it…? _"Ah! Mayuri Kurotsuchi! Captain of the Twelfth Division and president of the shinigami research institute!"

Walker whistled. "Not bad. Answer two more. Where does Tsubasa Ozora's motto comes from?"

_Tsubasa Ozora…? Ah! Captain Tsubasa! Let's see, his motos is… "The ball is my friend." And that was because… _ "Tsubasa was saved from being ran over by a bus because the soccer ball cushioned the impact."

Erika and Walker looked at each other. Then Erika looked at Mikado, gulping loudly.

"You gave me no other choice," she said.

Walker's eyes widened. "No, Erika! You can't! That one's-"

"I know what I'm doing!" Erika snapped. "This is the ultimate final question. Who killed Light?"

Mikado frowned. _Light… where have I heard that name…? Wait! Wasn't it something about the word Moon being read as Light? Then that means it's from Death Note… therefore!_ "The Shinigami Ryuuku did!"

**(/End Spoiler)**

Erika and Walker let out loud shouts of terror, flinching away from Mikado. "He knew the answer!" Erika whispered to Walker.

Walker, his face pale, nodded slowly. "It's almost as if he's…"

The two stared at each other. "A better otaku than us!"

Mikado chuckled sheepishly at that. "Well, it can't be helped," he said. "I shut myself in my room for the past six months with nothing but the internet and manga books."

Both otakus stared at the teens with respect shining in their eyes. They glanced at each other again. Then they both nodded, as if to agree on an unspoken agreement.

Walker moved first. He began to dance next to Mikado. Then Erika joined him in the dance. Then the two grabbed Mikado and pulled him into their strange music-less dance.

"You!" Erika said, pointing at Mikado with a bright smile.

"Me…?"

"We're adopting you!" Walker said, also smiling.

"Eh..?"

"Welcome to our Sibling-hood!"


	4. Of Tedious Jobs and Omnious Warnings

Wow! So many reviews! All of you are amazing! I'm really glad the sibling-hood made everyone so happy. I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter. But it took some time for me to get everyone into character (by that, I mean Kadota. That guy's near impossible to write correctly!). Well then, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Warning: Erika and her BL Theories. Shizuo's temper.

I don't own.

Recap: After getting the job at Aidokusho, Mikado passes Erika's and Walker's test with ease, earning their approval. This, of course, means celebration time.

* * *

Shizuo glanced at his cell. With an annoyed growl, he put the cell away. A few moments later, he took his cell back out and glared at it. A minute had passed. Growling again, the man in the bartender outfit put the cell away again. He glared at the innocent crowd as they walked passed. He took a long drag from his cigarette. He glanced over at Tom for a second before suddenly reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell. He glared at it for a bit before putting it away. Thirty seconds had passed.

Watching this, Tom couldn't help but to wonder if Shizuo was sick. And seeing that Tom had never seen Shizuo get sick before, the senpai decided that everything was explained. Never in his life, had he seen Shizuo impatiently waiting for a call. Or maybe Shizuo was just trying to look at the time on his cell. Whatever it was, Shizuo had never done it before this repeatedly. If Tom was the type to, he would have thrown his hands over his head and screamed, "The end is coming!" However, Tom wasn't the type to. If he was, Shizuo would never have accepted the job offering.

Now that Tom stopped to think about it, how long ago had it been since Shizuo was late for his work? Tom tapped his chin. So what could possibly cause Shizuo to be late for work and to get impatient, staring at his cell? A faint idea whispered in the back of his mind, ignored at first. But as Tom considered different possibly, the faint idea became brighter and began to take shape in his mind.

Tom gulped. _It can't be that… can it?_

He looked up just in time to see Shizuo grumble darkly under his breath and put the cell back in his pocket. Looking at Shizuo with new lens of the idea, Tom couldn't help but to note how strikingly familiar the man with the bartender outfit looked like a love-sick high school girl. Tom shuddered at the mental image.

_It is that, isn't it? _Tom rubbed his temples. _God help the poor girl Shizuo fell for!

* * *

_

12 o'clock on the dot, Mikado's cell began to ring, causing Erika and Walker to halt their questioning of the youngest member of the Sibling-hood. It also caused the others of the shop to turn to the young teen in shock. Mikado's ring tone, which wouldn't have been so offensive if it weren't for a very simple reason, was "California Gurls" by Katy Perry. What kind of a self-respecting Japanese citizen had an American ring tone? Meanwhile, the young teen looked at his cell. Much to his surprise, the caller ID read Shizuo. Mikado frowned. _Why would…?_

"Aren't you going to pick up?" Kadota was slowly turning red as he heard and understood the lyrics. The other three stared at him, confused. Just what could the English song mean to cause Dotachin to turn red?

The teen slowly opened his cell, much to the frustration to the rest of the members in the shop. But before anyone could make a rude remark to the boy, the boy said the one name that caused everyone to freeze where they stood.

"Hello, Heiwajima-san."

The rest of the shop looked at the boy with new eyes. And whatever rude comments they had before were promptly swallowed along with their prides. The kid _knew_ Heiwajima. Not just that, the kid had his phone number. They couldn't help but to thank whatever they believed in for not having said the rude comments.

"Hn," was the answer Mikado received on the phone.

There was a pause as Mikado waited for Shizuo to continue talking. He didn't. In fact, on the other line, Shizuo was holding a fierce debate about what to say next. This meant that he began to fume, causing the by-passers to back away from him. It also meant that Tom was rubbing his temples. But this story isn't about Tom and his headaches. This is about Mikado. So we shall return to the boy.

"Is there a problem?" Mikado asked finally.

Shizuo opened his mouth. He then paused. Should he say that? Will he insult the boy if he did? But Selty _did _ask him to take care of the boy… so it was okay, right?

"What was your name again?"

Shizuo waited patiently for an angry outburst. After all, wouldn't the boy be peeved about someone forgetting their name? I mean, if it was Shizuo, he would have snapped and gone on a rampage. So Shizuo felt that it would be justified if the kid decided to scream and insult him. It was the least Shizuo could do. Of course, this didn't mean that he would allow the kid to insult him too much. Shizuo did have his pride.

Instead of long-awaited curses, Shizuo was greeted with a soft giggle. The man in bartender outfit moved his cell away from his ear. He then stared at the cell for a bit. He then placed it back next to his ear. Nope, he wasn't imagining it. The kid was laughing at him. A vein popped in Shizuo's neck. Tom, watching this from a safe distance, calculated the cost of getting a new cell.

"My name is Ryugamine Mikado."

There was another pause as Shizuo tried his best to remember the name. "Ryugamine Mikado?" Shizuo asked, trying the name out.

Mikado nodded. But then he stopped when he realized that Shizuo couldn't see that. "Yes. That's my name."

"Ryugamine Mikado," Shizuo mumbled to himself. "Ryugamine Mikado. Ryugamine Mikado…"

_He's beginning to creep me out a little bit… _Mikado thought to himself as he waited for Shizuo to finish his little chant. After repeating the name for what seemed like forever, Shizuo focused back on the phone conversation.

"Ok, Ryugamine-kun," Shizuo said. "Don't forget to eat your bento. And if anyone with a yellow scarf bothers you, tell them you're under Heiwajima Shizuo's protection. Stay safe. I'll see you at 6:30."

Then the line went dead.

Mikado sighed, feeling exhausted. He turned back to Erika and Walker, only to be greeted with twin looks of admiration. Mikado mentally sighed. Between Erika-Walker duo and Shizuo, he wasn't sure who tired him out more. When he was with Shizuo, he was always on guard. After all, who wanted Shizuo to lose his temper on them? And when he was with Erika and Walker…. well, that was another experience all together.

_What now?

* * *

_

Shizuo shut the phone, looking quite satisfied with himself. He then turned to Tom, looking more serious and ready for work than usual. "Which bastard are we visiting now?"

Tom blinked, trying to get used to his kouhai's mood swings. "Uh… some guy who lives nearby."

The two began to walk, slowly and quietly. On normal occasions, Tom wouldn't have tried to start a conversation. He knew better than that. However, his curiosity was killing him. Just who was this girl with as strong a name as Ryugamine Mikado? How did Shizuo meet her? What was she like? Tom's mind churned with different thoughts of how to approach the subject. His safest bet, he supposed, was to not mention the crush at all.

Tom cleared his throat. "So who's this Ryugamine Mikado?"

Shizuo didn't even hesitate as he answered, "Some guy Selty asked me to take care of."

Tom nodded in understanding. _So that's how they met. Wait… something he just said doesn't fit… _The man with dreadlocks stopped in mid-step as realization flooded him. _I've always suspected that Shizuo wasn't straight. I mean, he turned down every girl he's ever met. But I thought that was because he was scared of his strength! It was because of a reason like this…_ Tom paled when a new thought entered his mind. _Wait. Does this 'Mikado' know about Shizuo's strength? _

"Uh… Shizuo-kun-" Tom began. But he couldn't finish. Shizuo was in his own little world, not even realizing that Tom had just called him. In fact, the man was walking faster than usual, almost as if he wanted to finish this job as quickly as he could. There was certain bounce to the man's steps that weren't there before. And just the general way the bartender held himself… was exactly like a high school girl in love. And knowing Shizuo, it was most likely his first love as well.

Then Tom remembered what Shizuo said about 6:30. Did that mean Shizuo was going on a date with this Mikado as soon as work finished? He rubbed his temples for the umpteenth time that day. _Well… at least I can tell Karisawa-chan that she's wrong about her BL theory.

* * *

_

"Are you serious? That's your real name?" Erika exclaimed, looking waaaaay too happy for Mikado's liking.

Erika, Walker, and Mikado were sitting at a café near Aidokusho. Currently, Erika and Walker were waiting for Kadota and Togusa to bring their orders. And they were currently bugging Mikado about… well… pretty much everything. Their claim was that they, as the older siblings, must know everything they could about their adorable little brother. Mikado, being the polite kid he was, answered as honestly as he could as he slowly dug into his bento. Vagueness, he had learned before, was not his friend.

Mikado laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. _I know that my name is really outlandish. Blame my parents!_

"I thought it was a pen name," Walker admitted. "But then again, I suppose you wouldn't exactly need one…" He then let out an excited shout. "Ahhh! Why is it that you're getting cooler by the minute?"

The teen blushed. "I'm… I'm not that cool…" he mumbled, feeling completely self-conscious.

"Let's see," Erika said. She held up a finger. "One, You answered every single manga questions that we asked correctly."

_But they weren't hard questions to begin with!_

"Two," Walker held his finger next to Erika's. "You have an awesome name."

_But that's my parents' fault!_

"Three," Erika continued, holding up another finger. "You willingly work at Aidokusho."

_What's wrong with working there?_

"Four," Walker said as he held up another finger. "You hang around Shizuo-san and you're not dead."

_Come again?_

"You misunderstood, Erika-nee, Walker-nii," Mikado said as he tried to calm the two down by holding up his hands. "He just got me this bento, that's all."

The two had, after a long try, finally convinced the smaller boy to call them by the new nicknames. After all, they were now all related by their love for manga. They might as well as call each other brothers and sisters. By that, they meant they wanted Mikado to call them that. And of course, the polite teen was too shy to refuse out right. This also meant that the two others that hung around the otakus were considered brothers, too. And much to Kadota's annoyance, Erika and Walker had taught the boy to say, "Dota-nii."

"But Heiwajima Shizuo doesn't just get a bento for anyone!" Walker said, waving his arms in an exaggerated way.

"Yeah, only Iza-Iza is special to Shizu-chan," Erika said with a nod.

Walker groaned. "Not that again! Don't listen to her, Mikado! She's crazy!"

"Am not!" Erika pouted. "Then answer me this, who's the only one in the world that can outrun Shizu-chan when he's on his rampages?"

Walker rolled his eyes. "Orihara Izaya."

The girl grinned at her counterpart. "Who makes Shizu-chan snap without even saying a word?"

Walker sighed and sang, "Orihara Izaya."

"And who does Shizu-chan chase, come high hell or Simon?" Erika demanded, her passion shining through her eyes. If this was a manga, there would be a giant wave that crashed behind her.

"Orihara Izaya."

"See! You agree with me! Shizu-chan and Iza-Iza were meant for each other!"

As Erika's eyes twinkled with delight, Walker smacked his head on the table… repeatedly. Mikado, who was watching this scene with uncertain eyes, was hesitant about the question he was about to ask the two. _Well… they _are _my siblings…_The word felt funny, even when he just thought about it. Mikado was an only child, so the word was obviously foreign to him. He had often thought of his best friend, Masaomi as a brother. But thinking of Masaomi always placed Mikado in a bleak mood. He quickly pushed all thoughts of his old friend away. After all, the present was more important.

"Is Erika telling you about her crazy theories?" Kadota asked as he came back with the ordered foods. Togusa followed closely behind him.

Walker looked at Kadota miserably. "I don't understand her love for BL."

Erika rolled her eyes as she grabbed her portion of the food. "That's because you're not trying!"

"Even I think you're pushing it with Shizuo-san and Izaya-san," Togusa admitted, handing Walker his portion.

"Uh… who's this Orihara Izaya?"

There was a slight pause after this question. Everyone turned to stare at Mikado.

"Right… uh… how long have you been in Ikebukuro?" Togusa asked.

Blushing, Mikado admitted, "About a day."

"Eh?" Erika exclaimed with Walker. The two looked at each other, suddenly in agreement. "You know what this means?"

"Time for a welcoming party!" Walker answered.

"I'll call Simon and ask for a reservation!" Erika sang as she stood up from her seat and began to leave the café.

"And I'll go find a cake!" Walker said, jumping from his seat and joining Erika. "Do you think they'll sell the Fullmetal Alchemist pictured one for cheap?"

The remaining three looked at each other awkwardly. A car revved its engine in the background. Kadota scratched the back of his neck. Mikado picked up some rice with his chopsticks. And Togusa…? He stood up abruptly. "That's my van!" he exclaimed, pointing at a van as it drove past them. And Togusa chased after the van and soon disappeared from view.

Mikado blinked. "Uh… should we go after them?"

Kadota shrugged. "They're like that."

"Ah... but…"

Kadota stared at Mikado. The younger teen blushed and fumbled with the rice in his chopsticks and dropped it on his shirt. Blushing and stuttering, Mikado clumsily reached for a napkin, missed, and accidentally pushed the napkin pile over to the ground. Kadota sighed heavily. The young teen stared at the man, rice still sticking on his shirt and napkin still scattered on the ground. His eyebrows furrowed as he began to think over what could cause the older man to sigh like that.

"Is something wrong, Dota-nii?"

"Don't call me that." But despite the protest, his voice wasn't so harsh. In fact, he then grabbed the cleanest-looking napkin on the ground for Mikado and helped the teen clean his shirt. "My name is Kadota."

Feeling an odd sense of déjà vu, Mikado nodded slowly and repeated the name. "Kadota… nii?"

The man with the bandana around his head shrugged. "I guess that works."

Mikado, careful this time, went back to his rice. But just before he could concentrate on eating, Kadota began speaking.

"So let's see…You don't know who Orihara Izaya is, right?"

The teen nodded. He then stared at Kadota like a small child waiting for the wise advice of his grandparents. The thought made Kadota smile lightly. No wonder Erika and Walker wanted to baby this kid. Despite arguing that he had graduated, Mikado just seemed more like a child than most high school kids. Or perhaps that had to do with the gang wars, which recruited mainly from high schools. Or perhaps it was the baby fat. Kadota wasn't sure.

"I can begin to tell you about Orihara Izaya, and I can begin to warn you about him, too. But you won't understand it until you meet him yourself. Many people ignore the warning and charge straight ahead. We don't hear from them anymore. Of course, it's also your own choice whether to meet with Izaya or not. But…A word to the wise, Izaya-san isn't someone you want to be near."

Mikado leaned in, as if doing so would allow him to absorb all the knowledge. He looked at Kadota with such trusting eyes that the man with the bandanas couldn't help but to feel bad for the kid. _He probably never even saw a real fight before. He chose the wrong time to come to Ikebukuro._ Kadota's eyes softened.

"You probably heard about the gang fights. How much do you know about it?"

The young teen looked at Kadota with confusion shining in his eyes. The boy didn't understand the sudden change in conversation and Kadota didn't blame him. However, in order to understand Izaya fully, one must understand the gang wars. And despite being confused, Mikado answered honestly. "Just that there are colored gangs. And that they're fighting for Ikebukuro."

Kadota nodded. "Alright. Before six months ago, all of Ikebukuro was ruled by a group called the Blue Squares. But six months ago, a new group arose. They call themselves the Yellow Scarves. You've probably seen them. They're the ones with the yellow bandanas. Try not to run into them, either. They're dangerous in a violent sort of way."

Mikado was suddenly reminded of Shizuo's warning about the yellow scarves and the man with the yellow bandana from before. Suddenly, the warning started to make a lot of sense. But then the young teen remembered the way Shizuo handled the street sign. He suppressed a shudder. If the Yellow Scarves were violent, then what did that make Shizuo, who seemingly single-handedly beat the crap out of them?

"Well… to put things simply, the Yellow Scarves leader made a deal with Orihara Izaya. I don't know all the details about the deal, but I know enough to say that Izaya gave Kida some kind of a weapon. There's no way a high school kid can defeat Izumi that easily. But anyways, thanks to Izaya, Yellow Scarves were able to destroy the Blue Squares. And no matter what Kida likes to say, he's nothing but a puppet in Orihara Izaya's hands. That's what Izaya does. Come to you at your worst time, extend his hand… and turn you into another one of his pawns."

The warning would have been more ominous if it wasn't for the fact that the one it was intended for wasn't paying attention to it. The young teen had something else in mind. Or rather, his heart. Mikado's heart thudded loudly in his chest. _Kida…?_ He pushed the image of his best friend from his mind. _No. There's bound to be more than one Kida in this world. Besides, what're the chances? Kida ended up in Ikebukuro and became a gang leader while I became a house sitter? No way. Not to mention Anri wasn't mentioned. Kida left together with Anri. There's no way they would have parted._ But despite his best attempts at reassurance, he found himself feeling depressed. What if it was Masaomi? What if Anri was with him? What if they were to meet again? Mikado's heart felt heavy in his chest. What then?

"Of course, since then, a new gang has formed to challenge the Yellow Scarves."

The young teen's attention was caught by those words. _A new gang?_ He looked at Kadota, carefully. The older man was smiling broadly, as if this new gang was good news. Before, when he was talking about the other gangs, he had been stony, almost angry. Whatever this new gang was, it was apparently a better gang.

"Yes. They're a colorless gang. No one knows who the leader is. But no one cares to know. It's a gang without rule or requirements. The members are free to choose what they wish to do. In that aspect, I suppose they're not really a gang. But whatever this group is, they are called Dollars."

"Eh? Then how do they function?" Mikado asked, suddenly interested in the topic.

Kadota's eyes lit up. "That's the beauty of it! Despite the fact that there isn't any leader, they can keep themselves together and stand against Yellow Scarves. Of course, if they were to be able to unite, they might be a bigger threat… But for now, Heiwajima Shizuo and the Black Rider is enough."

Mikado tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, I'm sure you've heard about the Black Rider? She and Shizuo both belong to Dollars."

The young teen's eyes widened. "Eh? Really?"

Kadota nodded. Then he became more serious as he considered the next topic point. He looked at Mikado carefully. Then he said, "You know, you should be careful around Heiwajima Shizuo."

The young teen watched Kadota carefully as he began eating again. Kadota took this as a sign to continue speaking.

"He's… not exactly normal. I'm not sure if you know this, but he has a terrible temper and-"

"Heiwajima-san isn't a bad person."

"Say that after he's put you in the hospital with broken bones and damaged organs."

Mikado couldn't help but to remember the man with the yellow scarf who landed in a rather… painful position. That man had been bigger and probably stronger than Mikado by a lot. The small teen gulped. _If Heiwajima-san was ever to lose his temper with me…_ He shuddered, remembering Shizuo as he threatened to kill Mikado. But despite that image, he couldn't help but to remember Shizuo's blushing face. Shizuo's silent guidance whenever Mikado needed to get somewhere. Shizuo's general kindness buzzed in Mikado's mind. The teen smiled, remembering this morning's incident. He shook his head as he focused back on Kadota.

"Heiwajima-san isn't a bad person."

Kadota nodded stiffly. "But-"

Before he could finish his thought, Mikado's cell began to ring that accursed song again. Kadota flinched inwardly. _The next thing on my to-do list is getting him a better ringtone. I'm sure if I ask Togusa, he'll get Hijiribe Ruri's songs. But those are better than… _Kadota shuddered.

"Hello?" Mikado asked uncertainly into the phone as Kadota had an inner monologue.

"What the hell are these two?" Shizuo snapped into the phone, not realizing that Mikado didn't understand what he was referring to. "They appeared while I was working with stupid questions! If they want to know so much about you, you talk to them!"

Mikado remained speechless at Shizuo's rant. He also remained speechless as Shizuo handed his phone over to someone else. He then smacked his forehead when the voices of Erika and Walker rang out from his phone. _Why did they go to him?_

"Don't worry, Mikado!" Walker said. "We have everything prepared!"

_Prepared…? For what?_

"Just you wait patiently until 6:30!" Erika continued with a giggle. Mikado could see them in his mind as they giggled together, annoying Shizuo. Mikado gulped. _I hope they can run fast…_

And with this incident, all thought of Kida Masaomi, Sonohara Anri, and Orihara Izaya was pushed far from his mind.

* * *

"Ah, work doesn't end until 7PM, right?" Mikado asked worriedly to the owner.

The owner froze at the sound of the young teen's voice. _Oh gods. Heiwajima Shizuo is going to kill me!_ Breaking into cold sweat, the owner laughed nervously. "Oh no, since it's your first day, you can leave early!"

The young teen's face brightened. "Thank you so much!" he said. "I promise to work overtime later to make up for it."

As Mikado spoke, all the owner could see was Heiwajima Shizuo's angry face. Would the bartender also get angry if the kid worked over time…? The owner couldn't predict it at all! He inwardly sobbed as he told truthfully told the teen, "It's fine. Don't worry about it." _Else Heiwajima Shizuo might kill me!_

"Oh. I forgot to ask earlier."

The owner cursed his luck. _Stop asking me questions! It's bad for my health!_ However, he forced himself to smile and look at the kid. "What is it?"

"Well… um…" Mikado blushed. "The thing is… I started working because I wanted to buy Heiwajima-san dinner."

The owner stared at the kid as if he had suddenly grown three heads. _You mean to say if I don't pay you; Heiwajima Shizuo is going to kill me? Good gods! Why didn't you say that before? _ "I'll pay you!" the owner shouted all of sudden. "I can pay for today's work right now."

"Eh? But… don't most jobs pay on schedule?" Mikado asked, looking confused.

_If he knows that I'm doing this for Heiwajima Shizuo, would that man get angry? I better act as normally as I can and treat him normally, too…. Argh! This kid is driving me crazy! _"I… I mean, since it's your first day, I meant that I'll pay you. And if you want to continue working-"

"I do."

_Damn it! Can't you quit? I don't want my death looming over my head every day!_ "I pay everyone every Saturday. So even if you're not working that day, show up to the shop, and I'll pay you."

The kid smiled his charming shy smile. The owner stared a bit at his face before sighing deeply. _This kid's going to be the death of me. _"If that's all, then get back to work," he grumbled. Or at least he would have if it weren't for the shadowy figure by the shop door. The owner glanced at a clock. 5:35 PM. _No way, it can't be him! I mean, he's much too early and-_

The wind chimes rang as the door opened. And the owner suffered a mild heart attack. The rest of the people in the shop also paused to stare, and then realized that they were being rude and quickly looked away. After all, they didn't want to get caught staring at none other than…

"Heiwajima-san?" Mikado asked, tilting his head. "I thought you were coming at 6:30?"

"Change of plans," Shizuo growled. Mikado gulped. _Uh-oh. He's in a bad mood._ Shizuo took out a lighter and lit a cigarette. "_We _are going to an Italian restaurant to eat."

"… Huh?"

Suddenly, the wind chimes ran out again as the door slammed open. Erika and Walker ran in, both out of breath. "Shizuo-san," Erika said in between breaths.

"You're not… listening to us," Walker said, also in between breaths.

The two then straightened themselves. "Erika was joking when she said she'll call Izaya-san!" Walker said. Then he cursed himself for being so careless and stupid.

Shizuo twitched. He put his sunglasses away. He glanced briefly at Mikado and said, "Sorry. Turn around for a bit. You shouldn't watch violence." He then took a long drag from his cigarette before crushing it in his hands. "Hey you," Shizuo said, glaring at Walker in a way that made Walker fear for his life. "You mentioned that flea's name in front of me again despite the fact that you know that I hate him. And you keep talking about calling that flea as well. That means despite knowing that I hate him, you want to call him, right? So you won't mind at all if I kill you off first, right?"

And for the second time in Mikado's life, he saw Shizuo go batshit insane. And the poor shop owner hid behind the counter, cursing the minute he accepted Mikado as a worker at Aidokusho.


	5. Of Awkward Dates and Cheerful Informant

Man, you guys are spoiling me with all these kind words! I love reading through your reviews. They really brighten up my days. And now, without any further ado, let's get going with this story! Oh, by the way, the long wait is over. Orihara Izaya is here.

Warning: Orihara Izaya. Fluff.

I don't own.

Recap: Mikado is clearly shown why the name "Orihara Izaya" should never be mentioned to Shizuo.

* * *

"He… Heiwajima-san!" Mikado exclaimed as the said man proceeded to lift up an innocent book shelf filled with books.

_How does he do things like that so casually?_

The others in the store slowly inched closer to the furthest wall away from Shizuo. Everyone, except for Kadota, Togusa, Walker, Erika, and Mikado, that was. Togusa ran out of the shop as soon as Shizuo lost his temper. Kadota quickly grabbed Mikado to get the smaller boy to safety. Walker was frozen only for a few minutes as he watched the legendary Shizuo in action. And he probably would have stayed frozen if it wasn't for Erika.

"Don't just stand there!" She shouted as she flung herself at the bartender. The plan was that the force will be enough to distract the hot-headed man long enough for Walker to get away.

However, Heiwajima Shizuo wasn't known as the strongest in Ikebukuro for nothing. He turned to face Erika, the book shelf still in his hands. "You," he said in a frighteningly calm voice. "You tackled me, knowing that I have a bookshelf in my hands. That means you want to die…. so DIE!"

Mikado was frozen as Shizuo reeled himself to throw the bookshelf. Then he did the one thing that everyone in the shop was waiting for him to do.

"Heiwajima-san! Let's go to the Italian restaurant!" the boy exclaimed, blushing furiously.

The normal people in the shop all held their breaths as they turned to watch the man in the bartender outfit. They didn't need to wait for long before Shizuo dropped the bookshelf next to him. The bookshelf landed with a loud 'thud' and spilled brand new books all over the ground. The brand new books didn't look so brand new anymore. The man, meanwhile, took out his sunglasses and put them on. He then turned to Mikado as if to say, "Let's leave."

Erika was not pleased. "Hey! Wait a minute!" She shouted. And she would have continued to shout if it wasn't for Kadota's hands that quickly covered her mouth. He then grabbed Walker with his other hand.

"Shhhh," he whispered to them. "I'd prefer to have my brain in my head and not as a splotch on the ground."

And thus Erika and Walker watched helplessly as their precious younger brother was kidnapped by the Evil Bartender. The two otakus stared as the two figures disappeared from view. Then they turned to Kadota with murder in their eyes. No one got away with kidnapping their brother.

Not even the great Heiwajima Shizuo. Or Kadota for that matter.

* * *

Due to the excitement, Mikado had completely forgotten to get his pay from the owner. And once the young teen had realized this, he paused in his steps. Shizuo, who had lit another cigarette, noticed this stop and turned to face the kid. The kid was pale, Shizuo realized with a frown. _Did those two do something to him…?_

"I'm sorry!" Mikado blurted suddenly, causing Shizuo to tilt his head in confusion. "I know you're expecting me to pay for dinner, since I got a job and all but…. I… I'm not paid until Saturday!"

Shizuo raised a brow. _He's still talking about that?_ Sure, it was nice that someone wanted to buy him dinner, but Shizuo wasn't about to hurt someone because they didn't give him dinner. Besides, Tom gave him a bonus today. Which, he supposed was slightly odd because Tom didn't give bonuses randomly like that. Now that he thought about it, Tom had also continuously mentioned a new Italian restaurant that had opened as well. And now that Shizuo thought deeper about it, Tom had also let him off from work earlier, saying something about how people should always show up nicely dressed for a date…

Shizuo frowned. _Maybe it's all connected…?_

Seeing the frown, the younger boy's heart sank. _I knew it! He's going to beat me up! I wonder which street sign he'll grab…_ _I hope he doesn't kill me. I would prefer to stay alive for a little bit longer…_

The man in the bartender outfit slowly breathed out, causing a trail of smoke to spread out evenly. He stared at Mikado for a little bit longer. The younger teen had his shoulders hunched, almost as if he was scared of something. And he was currently looking at the ground, as if the ant down there was cooler than a man in a bartender outfit. Shizuo blinked as he slowly breathed in.

"It's fine," Shizuo said finally. "I'll pay."

Mikado peeked up with his eyes, causing his eyes to grow wide. The young boy looked at the older one carefully. No, no sign of anger. Shizuo was just breathing in and out the cigarette smoke… Then the young boy broke into a bright smile, no longer afraid.

"Thank you, Heiwajima-san! I'll pay you back once I get paid!" He shyly walked up next to Shizuo, scratching the back of his head. "Uh… What do you like to eat, Heiwajima-san?"

The man in the bartender outfit smiled and began to walk again. "I like quite a lot of things," he admitted. "Why? Are you going to make it for me?"

"Eh? How did you know?"

Shizuo stared into those impossibly innocent eyes. He then looked away, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "You... you know you can just buy it for me," he mumbled softly.

Despite the mumbling, Mikado heard the comment. He laughed sheepishly at that. "I think I'm past the point of being able to buy you dinner. And well…" Here, the younger boy also blushed and began to poke his two forefingers together. "I thought it'd be kinda cool, you know? You can buy me dinner, and in return, I can make you dinner!"

Shizuo nodded, not trusting himself to look at the young boy. _Damn it! Why does that kid always make me want to turn red? _

"So uh… Heiwajima-san?"

Shizuo had no choice but to look at those innocent eyes. _Stop looking at me like that! I'll eat whatever, so just…_

"What would you like to eat?"

It was such a simple request but one Heiwajima Shizuo was having trouble deciding on the answer. Should he tell the boy his favorite food? Did he even have a favorite food? He had always just eaten, not really thinking about the taste of the food. As long as his stomach wasn't growling, he had always been satisfied. But that kind of an answer would most likely upset the young boy. So Shizuo had to think fast.

_What's easy to make? What's easy to make…? Uh…_

"Make me pasta."

"Pasta? But we're going to eat at an Italian Restaurant today, aren't we?"

Shizuo blushed when he realized his mistake. He then glared at the young boy behind his sunglasses. Almost as if the boy could feel the glare, he tensed up. Then Shizuo did one thing Mikado didn't expect him to do.

"Fine! Escargo! Lamb! Hamburger! Ramen! Udon! Miso Soup!" Shizuo growled, naming all the food that came to mind.

Mikado slowly counted the list with his fingers, slowly turning pale. "That's… kind of a lot…" he said softly.

Shizuo mentally groaned. _Then what do you want from me?_ He breathed in deeply the scent of cigarette. Then he sighed softly. _I give up. _"I'm fine with pasta."

The kid had the galls to smile brightly again. "Ok! Once I'm paid, let's go buy the ingredients together! Then I'll make you the best pasta you've ever had!"

And just who can say no to that cute of a face?

* * *

Mikado and Shizuo sat across from one another, feeling slightly out of place. Everyone else around them seemed to be staring at the two. And from what Mikado could gather, this Italian 'restaurant' was more of a gathering place for couples. _Heiwajima-san doesn't mean anything by this, right? _He thought to himself. But the boy was too shy to ask.

Shizuo, on the other hand, was trying hard not to get annoyed at the observers. It was bad enough that he lost his temper already in front of the kid. He didn't want to lose it again. Especially when this was a time for the two of them to… He stopped his train of thought. The two of them to what? Why was it that he was beginning to not complete his thoughts?

And as the two fumbled with the menu inside the restaurant, two pairs of eyes watched them from a bush right outside the window.

"Why did Shizu-chan take Mika-chi in a restaurant for couples?" Erika asked as she began to grin knowingly.

Currently, the two figures in the restaurant seemed to be blushing and talking about something. Mikado, now renamed "Mika-chi" by the two otakus, was moving his arms around in a nervous manner. Shizuo said something, causing the younger boy to instantly flinch, shut up, and look at his lap. Almost as if Shizuo was feeling guilty, he, blushing, said something, which caused the younger boy to look up and smile.

"Judging by their expressions," Walker said as he stared at this exchange between the two. "I think they might be..."

"In love?"

The two looked at each other, Erika with a prideful smirk and Walker with red-tinted cheeks. Then the male otaku member buried his head in his hands, groaning loudly.

"You really need to stop showing me your BL collection," he grumbled.

Erika laughed loudly as she stared lovingly at her younger brother. "Go Mika-chi! Your nee-chan will always cheer for you! Woo Shizu-chan with all your cuteness!"

"I disapprove!" Walker exclaimed. "Mika-chi should be getting a moe girl with glasses! Not… Heiwajima Shizuo!"

"Heiwajima Shizuo-san won't approve," Erika sang. "Look how happy they are!"

Shizuo was blushing hard as he said something to Mikado. The younger boy giggled and said something back. And seeing this interaction, Walker couldn't help but to admit that yes, those two looked pretty darned happy together. But that didn't mean that he liked it.

"B-b-but!" Walker exclaimed. "Didn't you say Shizuo-san was with Izaya-san? Wouldn't Izaya-san be angry if he found out?"

Erika had that strange glint in her eyes again. Walker slowly backed away from her. She grinned like the Cheshire cat as she turned to face her male counterpart. He really didn't like the way she was grinning. It was almost as if she was going to declare-

"We'll protect Mika-chi!"

That.

Walker mentally groaned. Go against Izaya? To protect a boy he's just met? Normal people had a very simple word for people who wanted to do just that: _Insane_. But then he looked back at the Italian restaurant. The two figures were now happily eating their meals together. And suddenly, Walker felt the same determination that Erika felt.

"Alright!" He decided. "We'll protect Mika-chi!"

"… or they can be a threesome," Erika whispered.

"What?"

* * *

Mikado awoke the next day to the sound of a door knock. He yawned loudly before kicking his futon to the side. He then ran down the narrow hallway to the door, not realizing that he was still wearing his blue pajamas. Both excited and nervous, he slowed down right in front of the door. Then he took a deep breath.

"Good morning, Heiwajima-san!" he greeted the other man brightly as he opened the door.

But it wasn't Heiwajima Shizuo who stood in front of his doorway.

The man in front of him did not have his hair dyed. Nor was he smoking, or wearing sunglasses. He also did not wear the Heiwajima Shizuo's signature bartender outfit. In short, he was not Heiwajima Shizuo. This man had short black hair. He had a very simple black shirt and pants on. And on top of that, he wore a black jacket with fur on the edges. Everything about this man screamed, "Simple."

"Ah… I'm sorry," Mikado said once realization kicked in. "Selty-san and Shinra-san are away right now."

The man smiled and waved it off, as if it was every day that he was mistaken for Heiwajima Shizuo. "Don't worry about the mistake," he said. He looked carefully at Mikado for a bit before shrugging. "And I know that Shinra-kun and Selty-chan got married. I'm here right now on a… request."

Mikado tilted his head. _A… request? _Why did the man use that word so reluctantly? What was he trying to hide?

Meanwhile the man smiled at him again. "Ah, but where are my manners? I'm Orihara Izaya. And you?"

Mikado's head began to race. _Orihara Izaya? _ Could this man in front of him be the same Orihara Izaya that Kadota had warned him about? _A word to the wise, Izaya-san isn't someone you want to be near._ But despite this ominous warning, Mikado just didn't feel that Izaya was a bad person. In fact, he just seemed like an overly cheerful guy.

"I'm Ryugamine Mikado," Mikado said softly, waiting for the usual, "Eh? Is that your real name?" speech that everyone always seemed to give. But what came next wasn't what he was expecting at all.

"Sounds like an AC," Izaya said cheerfully.

The teen blinked. _An… AC?_ To say that it was the first time his name was compared to an electronic cooling device wouldn't be a lie. He stared at Izaya with wide eyes. "Does it really?"

Izaya laughed cheerfully. Then he motioned for Mikado to go back into the apartment. "Go get dressed," he said. "Shizu-chan asked me to be your guide today."

Seeing nothing wrong with this statement, Mikado ran back inside to get dressed. The only thing burning in his mind at that moment was Erika's light statement of: _Only Iza-Iza is special to Shizu-chan_. And for whatever reason, that thought bothered Mikado a lot more than when he had first heard it.

* * *

"Uh… I need to get to work-" Mikado began after he was fully dressed.

Izaya waved his hands. "Don't worry about that," he said cheerfully. "I already told Aidokusho's owner!"

He then looked around, as if he was searching for something. Then as if he had spotted it, he turned back to Mikado. Wrapping an arm around the young teen's shoulders, Izaya casually led the boy the opposite direction from whatever he had been looking at.

"And since Shizu-chan's busy with work, I'll show you around Ikebukuro!"

A few minutes after Izaya led an unsuspecting Mikado far away from the apartment, a loud roar erupted from the apartment. A man in a bartending outfit had found out that his charge was nowhere to be found.

* * *

The morning was well-spent, if Izaya may say so himself. He led Mikado around and pointed out everything of interest. And being an informat, that job was rather easy. It also helped that the kid beside him was so innocent that he believed everything that popped out of Izaya's mouth. And of course, Izaya found it oh so adorable whenever the young boy looked up at him with those wide innocent eyes and went, "Eh?"

But if there was one thing that bothered Izaya, it was the fact that the boy was rather tight lipped. Sure, the boy talked from time to time (an annoyingly amount was about Shizuo) and seemed to slip this and that. But he never said anything of importance. Nothing of his life before he came to Ikebukuro, nothing about how he knew Selty and Shinra, and absolutely nothing that could possibly be used against him. Almost as if he had something to hide. And this thought excited Izaya. _For once, Shizu-chan has found something worthwhile!_

"Why don't we take a little break here, Mikado-kun?" Izaya asked as he pointed at a park bench.

"Ah… thank you again, Orihara-san," Mikado said shyly as he sat on the bench.

Izaya tsked. "Now, now, Mikado-kun. That's not fair at all. We spent the whole morning together! You should call me Izaya instead."

The younger teen blushed at that. Then he tried to form the word. "I… Izaya-san," he said softly.

Izaya smiled brightly. "Very good! Now why don't I buy you some ice cream in return?"

Before the teen could protest, Izaya had already hopped off towards an ice cream vendor. Mikado sighed and slumped on the bench. Orihara Izaya was… well… not what he had been expecting. The man was outgoing and cheerful, complete opposite of Shizuo. Being around Izaya was enjoyable, not taxing at all. But that made Mikado even more careful. Kadota wouldn't have warned him for no reason at all. There must be something off about this man…

Meanwhile, Izaya was humming one of Hijiribe Ruri's songs as he waited patiently in line for ice cream. It was a very catchy song with a great beat. Now if he only bothered to learn the words…

Izaya pulled out a small object from his pocket. He then grinned, feeling very much accomplished.

"You shouldn't be so trusting, Mikado-kun," he said softly before throwing the object in the trash. He then happily cut a distracted couple and ordered two ice creams.

_Now that you can't contact Mikado-kun, what will you do, Shizu-chan?

* * *

_

Heiwajima Shizuo was not a patient man. And for that matter, he wasn't a calm one, either. When Mikado didn't open the door after ten minutes of knocking, Shizuo snapped. He ripped the door down easily and ran in, looking for the small boy.

But the boy was nowhere to be found.

Remembering the kid's dedicated declaration of making Shizuo dinner, Shizuo headed towards Aidokusho next. The owner cowered and hid the minute he saw Shizuo. And this forced Shizuo to address the two otakus instead.

"Eh? Mika-chi wasn't in his apartment?" Walker asked.

"Could he have been abducted by aliens?" Erika wondered out loud.

"No way! I bet he was taken to an alternate universe! And he must save the world if he wants to come back!"

And while the two were distracted by this line of questioning, Shizuo left, feeling pissed. He had already tried the kid's cell multiple times, but the cell went straight to the answering message. There hadn't been a single ring at all. Just where could the boy have gone? And why did he have his cell off?

At this moment in time, the abduction story seemed rather likely. Shizuo frowned. There was only one person in the world who could pull something like this off. Or rather, who had the guts to pull something like this off and get away with it. Shizuo gritted his teeth. Just thinking about that man made his blood boil!

And the punks with the yellow bandanas over there, glaring at him, weren't making his mood better at all.

Oh well. Orihara Izaya could wait. Those punks were getting on his nerves.

* * *

Mikado accepted the ice cream with gratitude. "Uh… Izaya-san," he said, looking nervous. "Would you like to come over on Saturday?"

"Hm? Why Saturday?"

"Well," the boy blushed an adorable color. "I'm making Heiwajima-san dinner that night. And I'd really like to make you some, too."

_There it is again,_ Izaya thought with a frown. Always, when the boy opened his mouth, there was the name "Heiwajima-san." It was borderline creepy, the way the kid went on about different subjects but was always able to connect it back to the man in a bartender suit. If Izaya wasn't an informat, he would have assumed that the kid really respected Shizuo. But Izaya was an informat. He recognized someone in love when he saw them. So grinning, he decided to tease the younger boy.

"What? Are you in love with Shizu-chan or something? Every time you open your mouth, it's always Heiwajima-this and Heiwajima-that. If you like him, you should hurry up and tell him. He's rather block-headed, you know. He won't understand if you hint at things."

Mikado froze at those words. Love? Shizuo? Did he really? The only person he'd ever fallen for was Anri. Back then, every thought of her was tinted with roses. Every time he saw her, his day brightened. He felt happy just being near her. But at this moment in time, all thought about her made his heart ache. She had left him and took his best friend with her. The two of them had left him all alone in this world…

At the sudden frozen Mikado, Izaya's grin slipped. "Mikado-kun, that was a joke."

But Mikado wasn't listening. He was thinking deeply about his feelings. But before Izaya could give up on the teen, Mikado slowly focused back on the informat. Blue eyes locked with dark brown. Izaya grinned, ready to tease the younger boy again. But before a word can leave his mouth, Mikado spoke up.

"Izaya-san, if someone precious to you left you, what would you do? If you were left all alone in the world… what would you do?"

Izaya didn't hesitate. He smiled brightly as he always did. And his answer was very simple too. After all, Orihara Izaya was rather a simple man.

"I'd kill myself."

Izaya expected the boy to exclaim, "Eh?" and make a funny face. However, the boy seemed to have taken his words rather seriously. "I see," he said.

This reaction made the informat scratch his head. Just where had he gone wrong? Why wouldn't the boy react correctly? And just why was the kid asking such random questions anyways? Izaya frowned. The boy wasn't thinking about committing suicide, was he? The most logical answer to his first three questions would be that the boy had a traumatic past where a loved one abandoned him. That's why Mikado is so uncertain as to take the first step. That's why he was asking these odd questions. And quite possibly, he was probably contemplating suicide as well. Izaya sighed and shook his head. _Teen love_. _How adorable._

"Of course," Izaya began again, trying to show off his amazing analyzing skills. But before he could even begin the analysis, the younger boy cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Izaya-san," he said. "But I won't lose Heiwajima-san to you."

Izaya blinked. Something didn't quite match. Were he and the boy speaking the same language?

"Izaya-san," Mikado continued. "I'm sorry that you'd kill yourself. But I also love Heiwajima-san. Even if it's you, I don't plan on giving him up!"

_No way! The kid's not thinking-?_ Izaya waved his hands in front of him, trying to calm the boy down. "Wait, wait, Mikado-kun!" but Mikado wasn't listening. _Don't tell me Erika got to him already! She didn't even talk to him that long! Ah, this is why otakus are annoying!_

"Izaya-san," the kid said with a determined glint in his eyes. "From now on, we're love rivals."


	6. Of Boring Chapters and Hotel Signs

Ack! Sorry for the short chapter! Apparently, it's hard to type with sprained fingers… And I'm also sorry for taking so long with this chapter. School has begun and there seems to be less time for me to write. But don't worry, I will finish this story. It just will take longer than I thought it will. I'm really sorry about this.

Special thanks to Sissy, my new editor! Thanks for working so hard! And thank you for catching my mistakes. You're the best!

Warning: IzayaMikado moments.

I don't own.

Recap: After abducting Mikado from his apartment, Izaya somehow ended up becoming Mikado's love rival for none other than Heiwajima Shizuo.

* * *

As soon as Heiwajima Shizuo was out of sight, Erika and Walker turned to Kadota and Togusa with urgent eyes.

"Hurry!" Walker exclaimed, pushing Togusa out of Aidokusho.

"We have to rescue Mika-chi!" Erika added, pushing Kadota.

The two others looked at the two as if they had lost their minds. Then they glanced at each other, as if asking one another who was going to ask the next question. After a long battle of wills, Kadota sighed and turned back towards the two. "What're you talking about?" Kadota asked. "Why would we have to rescue Mikado-kun?"

The two otakus looked at Kadota. Walker's face turned pale. And Erika had a look of worry in her eyes. "We have to save poor Mika-chi before it's too late!"

"Too late? For what?" Togusa was also getting rather impatient with this silly charade. The two better say what's going on or the truck driver was going to drop them off somewhere far away without any anime… Was there such place left on Earth? He frowned. Perhaps Africa? But wouldn't the drive destroy the beautiful new tires that he got yesterday?

Walker turned even paler. Erika had that strange glint in her eyes again. Usually, that meant that there was some sort of BL involved. Kadota and Togusa glanced at each other. Then they both sighed resignedly. There really was no way to win against the two. They both allowed themselves to be led by Erika and Walker into the van.

"We have to find Mika-chi before Shizuo-san makes his decision!" Erika squealed as the engine began to hum.

"Decision..?" Togusa glanced at Kadota for a second. Kadota shrugged.

"Will he dump Iza-Iza for Mika-chi?"

The van swerved and hit a garbage can in an alleyway, effectively scaring off a stray cat. "WHAT?"

* * *

Shizuo dusted his bartender outfit, feeling calmer. He then proceeded to leave, lighting a cigarette as he walked. Behind him, a group of Yellow Scarves punks laid on the ground, groaning. They were obviously beaten by the strongest man in Ikebukuro for the hundredth time. And for once, they hadn't done anything to outrage the man!

"We have to… tell the Shogun," one of the members grumbled as he tried to push himself up. He had a bloody lip, which caused him to slur his words slightly. His left leg was obviously broken and he had sprained his wrist trying to hit Shizuo.

The others were in a similar injured state, and none of them looked like they could move. They all looked at one another with worry.

"Shogun… won't be happy," someone spoke up. His mouth was full of broken teeth, and he was being careful not to bite his tongue or the side of his mouth.

"It's Heiwajima Shizuo... that should be punished," another growled.

The members of the Yellow Scarves nodded to one another. "We have to get rid of Heiwajima Shizuo."

* * *

"Did you hear?" a girl asked excitedly as she ran up to her friend. "Heiwajima Shizuo was spotted beating up Yellow Scarves!"

The other girl looked back with a rather calm expression on her face. "Doesn't he always do that?" she asked, looking bored at the news.

"Yeah, but this time, apparently, he wasn't even provoked! They weren't doing anything to him or near him!" the first girl tried again, trying hard to make the other one excited.

However, the other girl just rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they did something. They _always_ do something."

The last sentence was spoken in a dark voice. Almost as if she had suffered through a traumatic experience. And although it seemed almost sadistic, Mikado couldn't help but to be interested in this conversation. _What did the Yellow Scarves do now?_ Perhaps it was his natural in-born curiosity. Or perhaps he had a more perverse reason for wanting to know. Either way, he was obviously not concentrating on the preaching man in front of him.

"… and that's why Heiwajima Shizuo and I are _NOT _in that kind of relationship!" Izaya concluded dramatically as he turned back to his audience.

Sad to say, his only audience was looking off, staring at two girls as they walked by. _First, he hooks me in by being impossible to read. Then he makes me buy him ice cream without even trying. Next, he randomly declares that I'm his love rival. And now he's not even listening to me as I try to explain my situation to him._ Izaya fingered his switchblade knife. _Just a little scratch won't hurt the kid…_

"Mikado-kun," he said with a forced smile. "Did you even hear a single word I said?"

The teen looked back at the informant for a second before realization flashed in his eyes. "Oh!" he said. "I'm sorry! Were you saying something?"

"Distracted looking at girls? Even after you said you liked Shizu-chan?" Izaya was trying to joke with the last two questions. But even to him, his words sounded pretty bitter. _I see why even Shizu-chan is helpless against this kid!_

"No!" the kid exclaimed, looking sickened at the thought of cheating. "They were talking about Heiwajima-san! And… the Yellow Scarves."

Now here was something more interesting than Shizuo! Not to mention this could potentially lead to informantion that he could actually utilize. Izaya smiled fondly. "Ah, yes. The Yellow Scarves. They've been a thorn in the Dollars' side, haven't they?"

Mikado had the nerve to tilt his head to the side. "Really?" he asked. And there it was again, those innocent, gullible eyes looking up at Izaya with respect.

Izaya mentally twitched. _I don't like this kid_, he decided. But outwardly, he smiled brightly. "Of course! I mean, obviously it's the Yellow Scarves' doing that caused the Black Rider to leave town."

The kid looked disappointed at that. "Black Rider left town?" he asked.

_He doesn't know the identity of the woman he's working for? _ Izaya smiled. Now he was getting somewhere! He wasn't sure if it was the declaration of being love rivals, or if it was this topic itself. But the young teen was now beginning to loosen up the tight information that he held. And Izaya would gladly pry it out, the kid willing or not.

"It was really unfortunate," Izaya continued. He eyed Mikado to make sure the kid was paying attention. Then he turned the conversation towards what he came for. "But Kida-kun will always be Kida-kun."

The reaction on Mikado's face wasn't what Izaya expected at all. He expected a blank face. Something that gave nothing away about Kida Masaomi, but gave everything away about Mikado. But what he got was the complete opposite. Mikado's face darkened considerably. His lips tightened around the edges and his eyes became sharper as he looked at Izaya with a look the informant hadn't seen on the teen's face in the morning.

Anger? No, it wasn't anything so bold. The teen was still too polite for that. Worry? No, the kid showed that emotion quite a lot, actually. Hatred? Again, that emotion was too bold. Then… could it be? … Suspicion?

Izaya's mouth twitched into a grin. Inside, he was laughing at himself. Here, he was making a fool of himself, trying to court the younger boy into giving him the information that he wanted. But the younger teen was willing to give him the information himself! All Izaya had to do was push the correct buttons.

"Have you heard of him? Kida-kun is the leader of Yellow Scarves," Izaya said, watching the younger teen. The teen's eyes were trained on him, almost like a predator studying a new prey. And that thought disturbed Izaya as much as it excited him. _The kid thinks he can outsmart me?_

"Izaya-san," Mikado finally spoke up. Perhaps it was the grave expression on his face, but Izaya couldn't help but to think that this was the most mature the boy had been the whole day.

With his usual grin, Izaya focused his attention on the younger boy. He knew what was going to come next. The young boy was going to begin with a serious question, like before. Then he was probably going to begin his sob story about how he knew Kida. And although listening through the sob story would be annoying, Izaya would sit patiently through it all. After all, this kid knew something about Kida that he didn't know. And any informantion that Izaya didn't have, soon became his.

"There's something that's been bugging me for a while."

_Here it comes! Here it comes! Here it comes!_

"What is your occupation?"

…_No! You idiot! You're supposed to tell me about Kida and his past!_ Despite being _very_ annoyed by the smaller boy, Izaya forced himself to keep smiling.

"Didn't Dotachin tell you? I'm the best informant in all of Japan!" Izaya said with a dramatic flourish.

At the mention of Dotachin, the boy's face lightened. Izaya frowned. Could this be some sort of code? Just why was this kid so hard to read? Not only did he look simple, he was a very simple guy. However, for the life of Izaya, he could not predict this kid at all. Almost as if he was hiding himself… But why would anyone hide behind a simple mask?

"Then I'm sure you have a lot of informantion on this 'Kida'-san!" The sudden change in the boy's mood made Izaya uncomfortable.

There were three other people in Ikebukuro that he didn't bother too much with. One was Selty, but she was out of town; another was Simon, but he minded his own business; the last was Shizuo, whose face begged Izaya to kill him. Slowly, this kid was making his way into his list of people to not bother with. And that was unacceptable for the human-loving informant.

"Could you please tell me about him?" Mikado asked sweetly.

If Izaya was a normal person, he would have gotten caught in the cleverly laid out trap. However, he was Orihara Izaya. And Orihara Izaya did not get tricked by some teenage housekeeper. Especially not by the kid in front of him.

"I thought I was your love rival," Izaya teased instead. Translation: _I'm not giving you any informantion!_

"Could it be that not even the great informant knows?"

Izaya smiled. _Childish._ _You're too obvious, Mikado-kun._ _Petty tricks like that don't work on me._ "Ask me again when I'm working. And for a fee, I'll give you all the information that you want."

"Eh? But I don't get paid until Saturday!" the boy protested.

Izaya bit back a bored sigh. _He's not going to talk, is he?_ He was about to tell the kid to give up on the dinner, when they both heard a loud cracking sound. This sound was followed by a loud, incoherent scream. Even without having to check on it, Izaya knew what was happening. _For once, Shizu-chan has good timing!_

"It appears that I'm needed in my office this minute!" Izaya exclaimed as he began to turn the other way.

"Izaya-san! Wait!" the boy shouted.

Mikado reached out with his right hand and grabbed onto the back of Izaya's jacket. The informant paused and looked back, staring at the flushed face of the younger boy. Izaya bit back a groan. _Make it fast! I'm in no mood to deal with Shizu-chan right now!_

"If… If I have the money, then can I really get any informantion I want?" the boy asked, his face turning pink.

_You stopped me for that?_ "Yes, I believe I just said that."

Mikado nodded slowly, as if he didn't believe in what Izaya had just said. But at this moment in time, the sounds of screams were coming closer and Izaya really didn't want to be there. The kid has already wounded his pride as the best informant. He didn't need more scars on his body to match the scars on his pride.

"JUST DIE!" And with that loud shout, a random punk fell from the sky and landed right next to Mikado and Izaya.

Izaya cursed as a figure began to make his way into the park. _I really hate this kid!_ The figure didn't have his cigarette nor did he have his sunglasses on. Instead, he had a rather large hotel sign in one hand. Even without having been there, Izaya knew exactly what had happened. Shizuo had snapped because of some idiots. Of course, the fact that he was the sole reason for Shizuo's initial anger seemed to escape the informant.

And the kid had the nerve to brighten up and shout, "Heiwajima-san!" in a happy voice. And all Izaya could see were the small hands still clutching tightly at his beloved jacket. At this moment in time, the switchblade in his pocket seemed to call his name. The kid really didn't need all of his fingers. He was a housekeeper, for Pete's sake!

"Izaya," his blade seemed to call to him. "Use me! Use me!"

Meanwhile, Heiwajima Shizuo looked up at the sound of someone calling his name. Then his eyes landed on Izaya. More importantly, he was looking at the position Izaya was in. And more importantly than that, his eyes focused on a small detail. Mikado was clutching at Izaya, who clearly looked like he wanted to get away.

Now, when normal people saw this scene, they would think that Mikado was trying to get to Izaya. However, Heiwajima Shizuo had never been normal. And unfortunately for Izaya, this was one of those moments where it became clear that Shizuo had never been, and never will be, normal.

"Iiiiizzzzzzaaaaayyyyyyaaaa-kkkkkuuuuunnnnnn!" Shizuo growled with his usual tone that he used when saying Izaya's name. "What the hell are you two doing?"

And a rather large hotel sign came flying in their direction.

* * *

"Look, we've already searched through most of the shops in this district!" Togusa complained as he forced his precious van to drive over the speed limit. "They're probably elsewhere!"

Walker was busily texting on his cell, while Erika was looking through a random binocular that she 'borrowed' from a random stranger.

"There's nothing on the forum," Walker reported, looking worried. He struck a dramatic pose. "Ahhh! At this rate, Mikado will be heartbroken!"

"We don't know that yet!" Erika growled, moving the binocular away from her eyes. She focused on Walker, a rather gleeful expression on her face. "They might take my suggestion and become a threesome!"

Both Kadota and Togusa felt bile rise from the back of their throats. Kadota sighed. _I told that kid to stay away from Izaya!_ His eyes slowly made its way outside, searching desperately for any sign of that innocent boy. Surely nothing bad had happened to the kid! Izaya wouldn't do anything to him… would he?

Then Kadota saw it. "There!" He exclaimed, pointing at a large sign that went flying up high into the air. "Shizuo-san is over there! Let's see if he found Mikado-kun."

* * *

On normal circumstances, Izaya would have easily dodged the sign. After all, what else would he use his amazing parkour skills for if not to dodge random objects thrown at him? But there was a slight problem in today's situation that Izaya found himself in. There was a wide-eyed young teen, who was clinging to his jacket as if it was his lifeline.

And he was not about to let some punk ruin his favorite jacket.

Cursing the situation he found himself in, Izaya grabbed the kid and pushed them both onto the ground. This caused the two to tumble on the ground and land in a… rather awkward position. Izaya's arms were wrapped securely around the boy, who was clutching tightly at Izaya's jacket. Izaya's legs pinned Mikado down on either side, which was a total accident, by the way. The poor boy shook slightly in Izaya's arms, and because of the close proximity, the informant could feel it.

Izaya peered down at Mikado. The young boy looked up at him, his eyes growing wider. His cheeks were flushed. His eyes were getting wetter. And…

A park bench came flying towards the two.

Mentally cursing, the informant rolled with the boy in his arms, effectively dodging the park bench. But this created yet another awkward position. One of Izaya's hands had slipped up to Mikado's head, almost as if cradling it. The two's faces were very close, and at certain angle, it seemed as if the two were….

Well…. for lack of better description, kissing.

Izaya pulled back from the kid. If he stayed there any longer, he would most likely be killed. Not to mention that the kid seemed to have relaxed his hold on his beloved jacket. So he quickly pulled away from the boy. This time, Mikado didn't try to stop Izaya, much to the informant's relief.

_I just need to get away from Shizu-chan and…_

Why was there a sudden lack of sunlight? Izaya blinked. He looked up. A large tree branch waved at him. Attached to the tree branch was the rest of the tree, roots included. And holding up the tree was none other than Heiwajima Shizuo.

"Now, now, Shizu-chan," Izaya began, trying hard not to let his nervousness show on his face. But he couldn't stop a sweat dropping from his brow. "This isn't what you think."

Shizuo did not look convinced. Nor did he look pleased. He just looked pissed. And knowing the man, Izaya knew he would most likely be screwed. The informant glared at Mikado. _Damn you!_

And then the kid just _had_ to open his mouth and speak.

"Heiwajima-san, it's as Izaya-san said. It's not what you think," the boy said. "Izaya-san isn't cheating on you!"

That proved to be the wrong thing to say. Izaya closed his eyes briefly. _I get that you think I'm your love rival. But that doesn't mean you have to kill me!_ _I'll give you Shizuo! Just leave me out of this!_

And while his eyes were closed, the tree dropped towards Izaya. Izaya heard the tree move. After all, it was a rather large tree that made quite a lot of noise as it moved. Thankfully, due to the long years of being near the hot-headed bartender, Izaya had developed amazing reflexes. Izaya bent his knees, ready to jump. Finally, that silly kid wouldn't get in his way and-

Izaya felt something akin to a push against his chest. His eyes opened in time to see Mikado's determined eyes. Then the eyes were replaced with a flash of green and brown. And Izaya found himself on the ground, a safe distance away from the tree and Shizuo. But there was something important missing from this picture.

Mikado was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

The van screeched to a halt in front of the park with such fierceness that Togusa couldn't help but to wonder if he had accidentally scratched anything on the van. But he had no time to ponder on this, for Walker and Erika had jumped out of the van as soon as the van stopped. And no sooner had the two jumped out, did the park ring with a loud "Crack!"

Even Togusa couldn't help but to wince at that.

* * *

Shizuo threw the tree to the side, once he realized that it wasn't Izaya that he had just crushed with the weight of the giant tree. Izaya stared back at him, looking surprised as well. Then the two's eyes landed on the fallen form of the young teen. And just as soon as his eyes landed on the form, Shizuo quickly looked away, looking sick.

For the first time in the informant's life, he felt sorry for Shizuo.


	7. Of Bad Dreams and Hospital Visits

Man, that took forever! I'm really sorry for taking such a long time with this one, but I was trying to balance college apps and this fic. Let's just say that the college app sort of demanded more attention.

I will just like to make sure that everyone knows that this fic hasn't ended yet. So don't worry. Mikado isn't dead… yet. And yes, I have thought of an alternate ending for this story. However, the whole point of this fic was to explain _Operator._ So I think it'll be silly of me to change the ending (not to mention I'm not sure how else to end the story).

Thank you, Sissy for being my beta reader! You're the best!

I don't own.

Warning: Slight angst. Bad Words.

Recap: Not realizing that he was fuddling Shizuo's anger, Mikado ends up in various positions with Izaya. As revenge, Shizuo finally squashes Mikado like a bug.

* * *

His heart seemed to echo with the sound of the knock. This was more nerve wrecking than it should be. It was just a door, for Pete's sake! He shouldn't be so nervous! He straightened his uniform. He had rushed here as soon as school had ended, but he didn't want the person on the other side to see him all ruffled up. That wouldn't be cool at all.

Then finally, the door opened.

"Mas-" He stopped in mid-name. He felt a sense of dread building up from the depth of his stomach. Despite that, he tried to smile. Gulping softly, he began again.

"Is Masaomi okay? He didn't come to the Graduation Ceremony."

There was a sickening pause as the two of them stared at each other. Masaomi's mother moved her lips, as if she was trying to remember how to get her vocal chords to work. Then finally, she spoke.

"I thought he was with you, Mikado-kun!"

* * *

One dislocated left shoulder. Two broken ribs and three cracked ones. One shattered shin. One sprained left wrist. Two twisted fingers on the left hand. And if the blow had been just an inch to the right, there would also be a broken neck on the list.

Kadota sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. This was pretty bad. But the good news was that the boy would live. The bad news, however, was coughing up enough dough to cover the hospital bill. All four of them worked, so they probably could easily gather up around $500 after living expenses were paid. However, the hospital bill wasn't a measly $500. Not to mention the four of them didn't have regular jobs. Most of them were freelancers, which also added to the problem.

If the boy was awake, he would probably protest against someone paying the bill for him. But the boy was unconscious at the moment, due to the anesthetic. Not to mention the boy didn't seem to have any money either, if working at Aidokusho meant anything. That left the four, who had hurried the boy to the hospital, to worry about the bill. Scratch that, Kadota was worried about the bill. Togusa was off somewhere, most likely making sure there were no new scratches on the van. Walker was with the boy, looking a bit better than he was before. And Erika…

Speaking of the female otaku, where was she?

Kadota sighed heavily once again. _I hope she's not bothering Shizuo-san.

* * *

_

One step.

That was all that separated him from the door to the hospital.

Just one small step.

But it was the one step that he couldn't take. His heart begged to see the small teen, but his feet refused to listen. His head tried to reason it out. Why did he have to see the boy? The boy was nothing to him. He should just turn around and head back and…

It was just one step.

And it was beginning to bug him. Why couldn't he just take that one step? But as soon as he lifted one foot, he found that he had no energy to move it forward. So he just let that foot fall back to the ground. Once again, he stood still, almost as if he was waiting for someone to come out. As if the teen would run out the door, smiling innocently as if nothing had happened.

Just one small step.

It would be easy, too. With his long legs, he wouldn't have to stretch too far. He would just have to take that one step. It was simple. So simple, in fact, most people did it without thinking of it. But it felt bigger to him. Something significant was behind this step. He felt that if he was to walk in right now, something in him would change. Or perhaps something had already changed.

One step.

Really, he was being ridiculous. What could have possibly changed in him to make him hesitate like this? There was no reason for him to fear. No reason to come up with silly thoughts. He just had to take one step and walk in. Nothing was going to happen. There wasn't going to be any change. There wasn't going to be any explosions. He was just going to take one step into the hospital and go see the boy.

He took a deep breath. _You're being stupid_, he told himself. And the thought made him giddy. Him? Stupid? There was only one stupid person at this moment in time, and that person was lying on a bed somewhere in this hospital. Well, there really was only one thing to do.

Orihara Izaya finally took that one step and walked in the hospital door.

* * *

"You mean he didn't come home at all?"

Masaomi's mother nodded, her face slowly becoming pale. "Yes, so of course I thought he'd be with you. But if he wasn't…"

The sickening silence from before returned. Mikado felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. Before his mind could process, his heart had already pieced together the evidence. Anri and Masaomi had a secret they kept from him. Mikado suddenly understood what Masomi had said. His words -no, his goodbye- whispered from the back of Mikado's mind.

_Sorry. It appears that I broke my vow…_

"Please excuse me!" Mikado said, leaving abruptly. _If Masaomi isn't here then… What about Anri-chan?

* * *

_

Finding the boy's room was the easy part. He was the best informant in Ikebukuro, after all. Of course, it also helped that the teen had such a majestic name that everyone easily recognized it. And slipping into the room after the male otaku left for a meal was pretty simple, too. In fact, things were becoming so simple that it felt mindless.

_Why am I here again?_ Oh. That's right. The boy had saved him.

Izaya looked at the boy in front of him. Most of his left side was covered in cast, which Izaya supposed made perfect sense. The tree had landed on Mikado's left side, after all. The informant gently touched the boy's cast on his shoulder. Then he began to slowly trace the casts on the boy.

_He got hit for me_.

It was an odd thought. Almost touching, really. No one had ever tried to protect Izaya like that from Shizuo… or anyone else for that matter. Everyone just assumed that Izaya could take care of himself. Either that or they didn't want to get involved, which also made sense. Because humankind is afraid of pain. So why had this boy saved him, then?

"I thought I was your rival," Izaya whispered softly to the boy.

The boy did not awake. And Izaya's fingers made their way to the boy's ribs and continued to travel.

"I can't predict you at all," he said softly.

And as much as that frustrated him just this morning, he now found it intriguing. Why was this boy so hard to predict? He was a human, wasn't he? And all humans behaved in predictable patterns. But no matter how hard Izaya thought about it, he just couldn't figure out this boy at all.

"Why did you save me?"

Well, one way to think of it was that the boy was really a saint. It explained why he could stand Shizuo. It also explained why he trusted Izaya after he was warned to stay away from the informant. But then Izaya remembered the boy's face when the name "Kida Masaomi" was mentioned. There was no way the boy was a saint. He was, after all, a human too.

Then there was one other reason why the boy would save him, wasn't there?

Izaya's fingers stopped. He slowly pulled them back from the boy's body. He then leaned in towards the boy's face, close enough to feel the boy's breath. Slowly in and slowly out. Completely evened out. There was no way the boy could be awake. Despite that, Izaya had to say it.

"I'm not giving you free information on Kida-kun because of this."

* * *

In all of her life, Karisawa Erika did not expect to walk into the park and see Heiwajima Shizuo, still frozen in that exact spot where he had stood at least four hours ago, his eyes hooded by his bangs. She had expected him to throw a fit. She expected him to follow them to the hospital and demand in his loud voice, "How's Ryugamine-kun?" She had expected something, anything violent.

But this?

This was beyond pathetic. And she was slowly working herself up in a fit of rage. What right did the ex-bartender have to be depressed about Mikado's injuries? He was the one who hurt her younger brother. And she was not going to let him just stand here, looking like a lost child. If anything, he should be at the hospital, waiting for Mikado to open his eyes.

"Shizuo-san!" Erika shouted. She wasn't greeting the bartender. She wanted Shizuo to turn and face her so she could yell at him properly. But the man didn't even glance in her direction. He just stood there, silent as a stone.

"How long are you going to just stand there for?" she shouted again, trying to provoke a response. But as before, Heiwajima Shizuo remained silent and still.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Still, no response.

Well, this next part was going to be mean, but he gave her no choice. If he was going to be childish, then she was going to hit below the belt.

"Aren't you sorry at all for hurting Mika-chi?"

Erika expected Shizuo to get angry. She expected him to turn and face her, perhaps throw a random object at her. She expected him to at least curse at her. Instead, he was still. The only sign that the man was alive was the slow rise and fall of his chest and the occasional blinking of the eyes. Erika gritted her teeth. It wasn't often that the female otaku lost her composure like this, but this was a special occasion.

"Just what is Mikado to you?"

Finally, Shizuo moved. It was a slow movement, and it really wasn't much, but it was an improvement. Shizuo slowly moved his head towards Erika. The wind blew softly around them, causing his bangs to move from his eyes. Stormy eyes met angry ones.

Then Shizuo sighed softly. Erika couldn't help but wonder, since when did the great Heiwajima Shizuo look like a lost child? But the thought was pushed aside when he answered finally.

"I don't know."

* * *

Walker nibbled on his sandwich, looking lost in thought. On normal occasions, he would be making anime jokes with Erika. But his female counterpart was nowhere to be found. Thus, the male otaku was left alone to muse on his thoughts.

Mikado, he thought, was someone the four of them had met only two days ago. Despite that, the two otakus had adopted him in to their Sibling-hood without too much of a hassle. The boy was strange, to say the least. He was shy and stuttered a lot, but that just added to his charm.

His charms. Now that was something altogether in a league of its own. Walker wasn't too sure how else to describe it. Mikado was like the main character of an anime. He had a magical ability to draw every critical character to him. It was amazing how it worked so well.

But it was also frightening.

Because of all the people in Ikebukuro, Heiwajima Shizuo had been attracted to Mikado. Heiwajima Shizuo was a dangerous person to be around. First was because of his temper. Second was because of his strength. The last was because wherever Shizuo would appear, Orihara Izaya would soon follow after.

Thinking like that, perhaps Walker shouldn't have been so surprised by what had happened.

He heaved a deep sigh. "How did things become so complicated?"

"It can't be helped," said a rather cheerful voice that Walker really didn't want to hear at this moment in time. "After all, Mikado-kun is rather special."

Walker tensed. His eyes focused solely on the smiling informant, who had just sat himself across from Walker in the hospital's cafeteria. There were many questions and accusations building in his mind, but the words wouldn't form in his mouth. Not to mention this was _Izaya_ he was about to have a conversation with. You couldn't rush in. No, Walker had to slowly take his time.

"I'm sure you agree wholeheartedly with me, Walker-kun," Izaya continued, as if he didn't notice Walker's inner dilemma. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have adopted him into your Sibling-hood."

_Deep breaths_, Walker warned himself. _He's an informant. He'll use whatever means necessary to get rid of us._ And for Walker, who only had the four of them, he couldn't allow that at all. So with a deep breath, he forced a smile on his face.

"Why the sudden interest in Mikado-kun?"

"Hm? 'Mikado-kun?' I thought you called him 'Mika-chi?'" Izaya leaned forward, looking much too pleased with himself. "Though… I completely understand if you're going to drop him. After all, you didn't know him for very long and he keeps attracting flies like Shizu-chan."

_What does that make you_? Walker stifled down his anger. "He's our beloved brother, Izaya-san. What kind of older brother would I be if I abandoned him?"

As if he was waiting for this sentence, Izaya went for the kill.

"How do you plan to pay for the hospital bill, then?" Izaya's grin stretched like those of the Cheshire Cat. "One dislocated left shoulder. Two broken ribs and three cracked ones. One shattered shin. One sprained left wrist. Two twisted fingers on the left hand… That's rather a long list of injuries. It's going to cost a lot of money. More than four of you can pay."

Walker did not slam his hands on the table. He did not yell or try to strangle Izaya. Instead, he took another deep breath and held it in. Slowly, he released his breath. When he felt himself calm enough, he refocused on Izaya, who was watching him with an all-knowing grin. Walker knew that Izaya was planning something. But what was he to do? He was not going to give anyone up. Not for Izaya.

And certainly not for Shizuo.

"Then we'll pay it slowly. Bit by bit, we'll pay all of it back," Walker snarled.

The informant chuckled a bit before he waved his hands lazily, motioning Walker to calm down. "Don't get so hostile, Walker-kun," he said with his usual calm tone. "I'm just trying to help out."

A warning bell went off in Walker's head. Help? Orihara Izaya? Those two words in the same sentence usually meant one thing for the rest of them. Death. Or worse, Izaya's puppet. Walker's hands tightened around his sandwich, effectively squeezing out a piece of tomato from it.

"We don't-"

"So you can pay back the hospital bill with no trouble?"

Walker gritted his teeth. _Bastard! You already know the answer to that! _

"That's why I'm offering my help. I'll pay for the hospital bill."

For the umpteenth time in Walker's life, he desperately wanted to punch Izaya's smiling face. He wasn't greedy; he'd only hit Izaya once. Just one punch would do, really. But Walker knew only too well what could happen to anyone who stood against Izaya. He's seen the results first handed, after all.

"How very kind of you," Walker gritted out from between his teeth. _What more do you want from us?_ He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Nah, I'm guessing you're thinking of alchemy, right? You help pay and we have to give you something of equal value back. Well then, Izaya-san, what do you want from us?"

Izaya became still all of a sudden. It was enough to make Walker worry for a bit. _It can't be that he hasn't thought of something? Then why would he approach me?_

"Well… For now, this is enough."

The words were spoken so quietly that Walker almost didn't hear them. And before the otaku could demand an answer, Izaya had already stood up and was leaving. Where Izaya had been sitting before, a piece of paper laid innocently. Taking a deep breath, Walker picked up the piece of paper.

"Hospital Bill," Walker read out loud. He closed his eyes briefly before glancing through the rest of the paper, looking for the total amount that the group had to pay. Then he paused.

"What the hell?"

* * *

Anri's parents ran an antique shop before she moved here. However, due to reasons she wouldn't tell the two boys, her parents passed away. Thus, she had taken in on herself to restart the antique shop in the small town. So the boys often stopped by her shop and helped her run things, when they weren't out hitting on girls. It was also quite convenient, since the shop also doubled up as her house.

It was to this shop that Mikado ran full speed towards. But even at this distance, he could already tell that he would be unsuccessful. All the lights were out. If Anri was home, the house lights should be on. If she was at work, then the shop lights should have been on. But all the lights were out.

Mikado stopped.

_Weren't the three of us supposed to have been together? Weren't we going to travel together? Weren't we going to have fun for the rest of our lives? _ He remembered so vibrantly, the happy few years of their high school years. The bright laughter that had often erupted from the three of them. The wonderful friendship between the three of them.

Friendship.

Were they friends to begin with?

* * *

A gasp ripped from his throat as he was suddenly startled awake. _A dream_. Mikado forced himself to calm down. _Just a dream of that memory._ He tried to move his left hand but then found that he couldn't. He frowned. _What…?_

Casts.

He was wearing casts on the left side of his body. Mikado frowned. Why was he injured? Oh, that's right. Izaya and…

The door of the room slammed open, revealing a rather peeved Heiwajima Shizuo. "Fine!" He shouted to someone that Mikado couldn't see. "I'll just-" He stopped when he realized that Mikado wasn't asleep.

Shizuo blinked.

Mikado blinked.

"Eh…. H- hello, Heiwajima-san…?"

Shizuo ripped the door out of the wall, practically ran outside, and then threw the door at the doorframe. Loud screams erupted from the hallway as Shizuo made his dashing escape.

Mikado stared blankly at the broken door.

_What just happened…?_


	8. Of Blonde Tribulations and Eremiphobia

I'm sorry for taking really long with this chapter, guys. But as always, I had a hard time with the four's personalities. Let's just say that this chapter was rewritten too many times to count. So there might be some inconsistency. When those are spotted, please point them out to me. I probably got mixed up with all of the rewritings. I'm sorry in advance, should that happen.

On the positive news… Plot, thy name is Kida Masaomi!

I don't own!

Warning: Bad language, beginnings of a plot, and a healthy dose of angst/humor.

Recap: It's been barely two days since he's arrived in Ikebukuro, and Mikado finds himself in the hospital.

* * *

Tom blinked, taking in the sight before him with surprise. He was unsure how to react, and thus settled for just staring at the blonde male, who had just moments ago knocked on his door. The said blonde puffed on his cigarette before pushing his sunglasses up on his nose. He scowled at Tom.

"What?"

_You look like shit_, Tom answered in his mind. Indeed, his beloved underclassman's usual bartending clothes were wrinkled and dirtied, as if Shizuo hadn't bothered to change the uniform after rolling around in the dirt. Now that Tom looked closer, those spots looked more like blood splatter than dirt specs. Even without being told, Tom knew exactly what had gone down. There had been a fight; that much was obvious. And knowing Shizuo, he most likely got into an 'argument' with some Yellow Scarves member. But the thing that really bugged Tom was the fact that Shizuo was _here_, in his apartment, _now_.

"What are you doing here?" Tom asked finally. _You never come here if not for work. And the last I checked, I gave you the day off. _

The ex-bartender growled irritably as a form of an answer. Tom frowned, remembering Shizuo's panicked call that morning about Mikado's disappearance. Could it be that he had been looking for the teen until now? Worse still, maybe Shizuo didn't find the kid? It would explain the terrible mood the ex-bartender was in.

Tom wanted to bang his head against a wall. Leave it to fake-blonde to screw up his own life without even trying. But being a good upperclassman he was, Tom decided to let Shizuo in and help console him. After all, how bad could Shizuo in-love be?

* * *

"Wait, let me get this straight," Erika said once she had been reunited with her other half. "Orihara Izaya, you know, _the _Orihara Izaya, came up to you and pretty much told you that he's paying the hospital bill for a boy that he barely knew for a day? And Orihara Izaya, you know, _the same _Orihara Izaya, didn't want anything in return? You do realize that we're talking about Orihara Izaya, you know, _the freaking Informant of Ikebukuro_? There has to be a catch somewhere!"

"I know," Walker groaned. "I know. But what he gave me was a receipt. He's already paid it all."

"Dammit! I was going to get Shizuo to pay for that! Now how am I supposed to make him feel less guilty about the whole damned episode? Honestly, _men_." Erika huffed angrily as she crossed her arms. "They screw everything up!"

Walker stared at his partner for a bit. _She's not including me in that group, is she…? _

* * *

Shizuo sighed heavily, a trail of smoke leaving his mouth. Tom debated on how to begin his line of questions. He could be tactless, he knew. But he wasn't sure how fragile Shizuo's control over his temper was at this moment in time. One wrong move, one wrong word, could potentially cause permanent damage in the apartment, and Tom really didn't want to take care of bills right now.

"Right…" Tom said, trying not to feel uncomfortable in his own apartment. "Want anything to drink?"

The ex-bartender shook his head no. There was a slight pause as Shizuo gathered himself, as if to speak. Tom decided that would be much safer than asking his underclassmen a question. So he allowed the younger one as much time as he wanted. Finally, after exactly twenty-two minutes of waiting, the ex-bartender spoke.

"I'm going to kill that fleabag."

Shizuo didn't have to explain who the 'fleabag' was. There was only one person in the world that Shizuo referred to as such. And to Tom's knowledge, there had never been a time when Shizuo didn't want to kill the 'fleabag.' The only question that the upperclassman had was, "What now?" The ex-bartender threatened to kill Izaya quite often. It was no secret that the two hated each other's guts. But what did Izaya do now that caused Shizuo to become so irritated?

Tom stared at Shizuo and waited for the blonde to elaborate. But Shizuo didn't. Instead, he stared back at Tom, almost defiantly. Tom sighed mentally. _He's the reason why I'll have a head full of grey hair soon._

"What did…" Tom paused here and looked at Shizuo carefully. Sometimes, if someone wasn't careful, the fake blonde snapped at them for mentioning the name of the informant. "that 'fleabag' do now?"

There was a tense silence between the two. Tom watched, quite amazed, when he realized that Shizuo was trying to contain his anger. Shizuo opened his mouth, stopped for a second, closed his mouth, changed his mind, and opened his mouth again. He let out a choking sound that sounded suspiciously a lot like, "Kill," but then stopped himself and cleared his throat. He refocused on Tom and tried to speak again.

"He kidnapped Ryugamine-kun."

Now Tom was struck speechless. Sure, he expected Izaya to do something dramatic, but he hadn't expected the Informant to… _kidnap_ the kid! That seemed almost… too extreme for the usually crafty informant. _Unless the kid is involved in something really dangerous…_ Tom quickly stopped his line of thought. _This isn't a thriller novel,_ he chided himself. _Besides, what can the kid possibly be involved in? A yakuza? The Dollars? The Yellow Scarves? Psh! Shizuo is more dangerous than all of them combined!_

"When I found them…"

Shizuo's hesitation caught Tom's attention. What? What could have possibly happened for Shizuo to lose his confidence? What was the kid doing with Izaya? _What_?

"He called me 'Heiwajima-san," Shizuo finished.

Tom blinked. That was it? There wasn't an epic love affair? There was no dramatic, heart-pounding plot twist? There was just a name? Tom groaned and rubbed his temples. _You've got to be kidding me!_

Suddenly, Shizuo's eyes lit up, completely misunderstanding the reason for Tom's groan. "Exactly! Why is it that the fleabag gets to be called by his name when I'm still stuck as 'Heiwajima-san?' I've known him longer! Don't I have the right to be called 'Shizuo' by now?"

The older of the two held his mouth as he tried to control a smile. Luckily, he was used to controlling laughter, so at least he wasn't laughing at Shizuo's face. However, smiling was a bit trickier to control. He coughed, trying to give a reason as to why he was holding his mouth. But it turned out that he didn't need to have bothered. The ex-bartender was too busy raging to notice Tom.

"He even calls those two otaku kids siblings! What the hell? Why am I the only one that he uses formal speech towards?"

_Hell hath no fury like a women scorned_, Tom thought to himself. _Whoever said that haven't met Shizuo._

* * *

Masaomi laughed before he wrapped his arms around his best friend. "C'mon, Mikado!" he said, "Let's go hit on girls again today!"

The other was unusually still in his grasp. The Leader of the Yellow Scarves frowned. Was something wrong? He turned to his best guy friend, who wouldn't face him. "Mikado?"

Mikado turned slowly, letting the blonde see the blood stains on his chest first. His eyes slowly travelled from the blood stains on Mikado's chest and up to his face, dreading what he might find. His best friend looked paler than usual, but that was the only difference. Masaomi let out the breath that he didn't realize that he had been holding. He tried to smile again, but the look in his friend's blue eyes stopped him.

_You betrayed me._ Those words weren't spoken by anyone. Yet, Masaomi heard it as loud as a gunshot. His mouth felt suddenly dry. He had to get out of there, but his legs wouldn't move.

The pale arms of his best friend wrapped securely around blonde's shoulders. "This is only fair," whispered Mikado.

_What's only fair?_ Masaomi wanted to ask, but his mouth was frozen. All he could do was stare into those accusing eyes as…

_Ring ring ring!_

The telephone's ring snapped him back to reality. _A dream_, he thought as bile rose from the back of his throat. He forced himself to calm down; it was just a dream. It didn't mean anything. It was just a…

Mikado's soft blue eyes accused Masaomi of betrayal. It had been such a long time ago since he's seen them, yet those eyes seemed to get sharper by the day in his mind. Masaomi hated days like today. Just this morning, he had been tied to his bed by his fellow members, who claimed that he had a cold. That meant that Masaomi had nothing to do but sleep the rest of the day away. But sleeping was a dangerous pastime; it was always the gateway to the past. And the blonde had sworn to break all ties with his past. He was not supposed to have a past. He vaguely had the present, which meant that there was a possibility of a future. He had to be content with that. He _had_ to be.

With a deep sigh, he reached for his cell. Not bothering to check the caller ID, he flipped it open. "Yes?" he asked, and then grimaced when he realized his voice was raspy from sleep.

"You should be asleep."

Oh, now there was a voice that he hadn't heard in a while. He scowled. "What do you want, Seiji-kun?"

"You know," Seiji answered. Masaomi swore he could hear the shrug on the other side of the phone. "Heard you had a cold. Thought I should check it out."

_How sweet_, Masaomi thought sarcastically. _You wanted to report to Izaya that I'm alive._ He sighed, putting on his usual playboy mask with ease. "As much as I like you, Seiji-kun, I don't swing that way. Now, if Mika-chan was calling, on the other hand…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence."

This was easier to handle. The playboy mask always made it easier to cope. "You're so terrible, Seiji-kun. After my hard work of getting you two together, the least you can do is share, you know!"

Seiji just grunted on the other line. There was a small pause as both debated on what else to say. For the blonde, there really wasn't much to say. He would rather hang up and find his followers who dared to suggest that he had a cold. If he ever got his hands on them…

"The Black Rider isn't here anymore."

Ah. So that's the real reason why Seiji called. Masaomi rolled his eyes, knowing that the other couldn't see him. "So?"

"You know what Izaya-san can do. You've seen what happened with the Blue Squares. He might get his hands on the Dollars and destroy you, too. Crush the Dollars, before he has them completely under his magic. Don't let the past be repeated."

The blonde's eyes darkened at the mention of the past. An image of Mikado's blue eyes flickered before his eyes. He shook his head. _No,_ he swore. _Never again._ This meant that he should at least give Seiji's thought a little consideration. Of course, he had thought about this "great chance" himself before. What if he got rid of the Dollars now, when the Black Rider was away? Slowly drag one member at a time into a dark alley, beat them… Repeat what the Blue Squares did to the Yellow Scarves. Repeat the misery of six months ago…

He scowled at the thought. "Don't be stupid, Seiji-kun. There's no past to repeat." That's right. He wasn't supposed to have a past. Any thread of the past can lead Izaya to Mikado. He wouldn't betray his friend again.

"Well, if that's all, then I'll be going back to sleep," Masaomi said, faking a yawn. He shut the cell with a snap of his wrists before Seiji could squeeze in another word.

_Crush the Dollars_… Masaomi faintly wondered if the Blue Squares Leader ever lost any sleep, mauling over a similar question. Of course, the only difference would be that the Izumi never had to deal with the Black Rider or Shizuo. No, Izumi just had to deal with Masaomi. And like a fool, the blonde had trusted the informant to help fix the mess. At least there wasn't a Dollars Leader that'd force the group to follow Izaya… like he had so foolishly done.

_Don't be silly, Seiji,_ the Leader of Yellow Scarves thought darkly to himself. _The Dollars are the key. They will help me pull Izaya from his throne of corpses. _

* * *

Mikado looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching his room. The door was beyond repair from Shizuo's rampage that evening and the nurses had put up a curtain in place to at least give the boy some privacy. However, this meant that Mikado could hear every conversation in the hallway, as well as the footsteps. Although it was nice that he got a heads up to who was visiting, it also meant that he heard private conversations.

Thus, the young boy was excited to have a visitor to distract him from his thoughts. The curtains finally opened and Kadota walked in hesitantly.

"Hello, Kadota-nii," Mikado greeted.

The man gave a stiff nod. Mikado noted that he wasn't wearing his usual bandana, possibly due to a request from a nurse. He walked to Mikado and sat on a nearby chair. "Hey," he said, clearly distracted.

Mikado frowned, uncertain how to cheer up the other man. Usually, Masaomi was the one who lightened up the mood, so Mikado wasn't sure what to say or do. Should he pretend to be Masaomi and say something insanely stupid? Or should he just pretend that the man wasn't there? Of course he could try to distract the man…

With that thought decided, Mikado forced himself to smile. "How's everything?"

Kadota didn't answer for a while. Instead, he stared at Mikado, as if trying to figure something out. Then slowly, he opened his mouth and spoke. "Fine. But more importantly, how are you faring?"

"I admit I'm a little bored," Mikado said. Truthfully, he was a lot bored. There he was in Ikebukuro, one of the biggest cities in Japan, and he was spending the time in a hospital, of all things. And since half of his body was disabled, he could barely do anything by himself. The words "a little bored" really didn't do justice to what he felt.

Kadota probably understood the sentiment, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, a strained silence enclosed them. Mikado wondered again if he should say something else. But what was there to say? He was so easily shut down. Perhaps he should wait for the older man to find the words to say whatever was on his mind?

After a few uncomfortable minutes, the man groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Mikado blinked. _What…?_

Kadota looked up; his eyes flashed guilt as they met Mikado's eyes. "You didn't have to actually put yourself in the hospital to make your point."

Mikado paused for a minute to recollect his memories. What was Kadota talking about? Oh, that's right. They had been discussing Shizuo's temper the other day! Kadota's exact words were: _Say that after he's put you in the hospital with broken bones and damaged organs._ Mikado's eyes widened at the realization. Was the older man here to rub lemon on the wound…?

"But now that you've experienced his temper directly, you'll probably understand my reluctance. Both Shizuo and Izaya are not to be messed around with." Something akin to hysterical hope shone in Kadota's voice. "Don't get involved with them anymore."

The younger boy couldn't fight the fond smile growing on his face. Of course Kadota wouldn't rub lemon on the wound. He was, as always, just being the reliable older brother. Briefly, Mikado wondered if Kadota would be like Masaomi and Anri. Would he, and the rest of the group, leave him alone? He shook his head. Right now, he had to focus on the present.

"Kadota-nii, thank you for your concern," Mikado said.

From those words alone, Kadota could already hear the "but" that was sure to follow. He sighed mentally, resigning from arguing with the kid on that point. He had figured something like this would happen; the kid was too attached to Shizuo for his own good. But now that Izaya was involved…

"But really, Heiwajima-san isn't a bad person."

Kadota scowled. "He's not worth the danger-"

"And who is? Am I supposed to avoid people because people are dangerous? Are you saying that I always have to be alone?"

The desperation in the boy's eyes and voice caused Kadota to falter. Why was the boy so averse to dodging danger? Why couldn't he understand that even if Shizuo meant well, he couldn't control his temper? Why couldn't the boy understand that Izaya's favorite past time was inciting that temper? Why won't the child just _listen_?

But just how was Kadota supposed to tell the boy anything when he looked so broken?

* * *

"And have you talked to the kid about it?" Tom asked finally once Shizuo stopped his rant.

There was a pause as ex-bartender turned slowly to face Tom. _Like a deer caught in headlights…_ Tom stifled his groan. "No wonder! Shizuo-kun, if you don't tell him, he won't know."

"But the fleabag-!"

_Is he seriously comparing himself to Izaya…?_ "I'm sure Iz- the fleabag – told the kid to call him that."

Shizuo seemed to contemplate those words seriously; his eyebrows scrunching up in deep thought. Then suddenly, his shoulders slumped, as if he was giving up. Tom frowned. Strange, why was Shizuo acting like this? He gave his underclassmen a few more minutes before trying to pry out more data. After more minutes of reluctance, Shizuo gave up and told Tom exactly what had happened.

Even before Shizuo finished, Tom was holding his head in his hands, unsure whether to laugh or to groan. The whole situation was hilarious, not that he'll ever say that to ex-bartender's face, especially since the kid was now in the hospital. But at the same time, this was terrible news for the ex-bartender. If the kid was traumatized by the event, there was no way for Shizuo to squeeze back into the kid's life, at least not if the kid's self-proclaimed siblings could help it. However, Tom really didn't want to deal with a heart-broken Shizuo…

"Well," Tom decided finally. "You'll have to start with an apology."

His underclassman growled, clearly frustrated. "You don't understand! I can't get near him!"

_Why? Does the kid admit some sort of a strange telepathic wave to chase Shizuo away? Are the Otakus building a fort around the kid? Is Izaya standing next to the kid?_

"He was stuttering with fear. There's no way for him to open up to me again."

_Well, you can't blame the kid. You sort of smashed him with a tree. That kind of stuff tends to leave a negative impression. _"You won't know until you try," Tom tried again. And try they will, if the upperclassman had any say about it. He wasn't going to deal with a mopey Shizuo. And he highly doubted Ikebukuro would be able to take a moody Shizuo and survive in one piece.

"What if I hurt him again?"

The words were spoken softly, almost as if a child was speaking about the boogeyman under his bed. Tom felt his heart melt at the sound. How so terribly sweet. _So this is what happens when Shizuo falls in love._

"You won't," Tom decided. He had no idea where his confidence came from, but he felt certain of this. "You won't hurt him. You won't let yourself."

* * *

"Eh? Really?" was the reaction the four received when they told the young boy that the hospital bill was completely covered. Then the boy's face fell with guilt and, with a concerned expression, he looked at the four of them. "Are you sure? It must have been expensive. I can pay you back-"

"Oh c'mon, Mika-chi!" Erika said cheerfully. "Let nee-chan spoil you from time to time!"

"It's not like you paid for the bill," Togusa mumbled. His eyes widened when Erika's elbow dug in painfully into his stomach.

Mikado watched them with careful eyes. "Then who did?"

The four became tight lipped, much to the young boy's worry. _Don't tell me they did something illegal…?_ Before Mikado's mind can list all the illegal deeds the four could have done to cover the hospital fee, Walker spoke up.

"Surprisingly, Izaya-san did."

Mikado furrowed his brows. "Izaya-san?" That made little to no sense. Why would the informant do something like that? Unless…?

"Yeah, we were surprised, too," Kadota admitted with a frown. "It's very suspicious."

Suddenly, the young boy broke into a bright smile. "There's no need for concern at all!" he said, relieved. "Izaya-san's probably trying to apologize."

The four looked at Mikado as if he had turned into Simon. "What?" Erika asked, her voice a high squeak. "For _what_?" the other three demanded.

"Because I got caught in-between their spat."

"No, no, no, no," Walker said, shaking his head vigorously. "You've got it completely backwards. Izaya-san doesn't _apologize_, especially not because of a fight with Shizuo. "

Mikado frowned. "Then maybe he was trying to tell me not to feel bad?"

The four shook their heads no again. "How are you even coming up with these stupid ideas?" Togusa demanded.

The young boy flushed. "Well, I mean," he mumbled, trying hard to pretend that he couldn't feel their judging gaze. "You know, since we're love-rivals and all…"

"_WHAT_?"

* * *

The doorbell rang, interrupting Masaomi's dreamless sleep. The leader of the Yellow Scarves groaned and willed the person to go away. No such luck. He pushed himself out of bed and stumbled his way towards the door. The doorbell's obnoxious ring rang throughout the small apartment room.

"I'm coming, dammit!" he snapped. He was in no mood to deal with this.

"What?" he demanded as he jerked the door open.

"S… sorry to bother you, Boss. But… we have some complaints…"

* * *

Shizuo gulped, staring down at the bouquet of flower in his hands. He fidgeted nervously in his now-clean bartender outfit, a blush slowly creeping on his face. He nervously eyed the hospital with visible reluctance.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" he asked his senpai in a gruff voice.

"Of course. Now march in there and declare your undying love," Tom said, giving Shizuo a push towards the door.

The ex-bartender took a deep breath. Then he took nervous steps towards the door, a small tremor passing through his body. However, before he could touch the doorknob, the door opened and a pale nurse came out. Tom frowned, worried for the nurse. But before either men could say anything, the nurse spoke.

"Heiwajima Shizuo-san, um… The hospital sincerely apologizes, but… You are no longer welcomed here."

Shizuo froze. Not welcomed…? He remembered the nervous stutter of the boy. And without being told, he could already imagine what had happened. The boy, afraid for his life, had begged the hospital to refuse Shizuo entry. He glanced at his hands, at the flowers, and noticed that they were shaking. No, scratch that. He was shaking. And now that he thought of it, his chest was burning. Why? Oh, maybe he should breath.

He breathed out slowly, trying hard to ignore the spots that appeared in his vision. He could vaguely hear Tom saying something to the nurse, but he didn't want to be there anymore. He handed the bouquet to the nurse. "For him," he remembered saying, but he felt distant. Everything felt far away and he was just an observer. He was numb.

_Not welcomed_… Ryugamine Mikado no longer wished for his presence.


	9. Of Flowery Meanings and Phone Calls

You know, I don't think I've ever taken authors' complaints about computer viruses seriously before. Well, all I can say is that I now understand the feeling of losing every single story, plotlines, and whatever research with a simple click of a button. On the happier side, thank you, everyone, for reviewing! And you can expect a quicker updates, now that the summer is officially here. Sorry for taking so long!

I don't own the fandom or the referenced song.

Warnings: Bad language

Recap: After Shizou finally gathered enough courage to visit Mikado at the hospital, he's foiled by a nurse, who claims that he's not welcomed there anymore.

* * *

The nurse looked down at the bouquet of flowers in her hands, guilt wrenching her guts. Sure, this was for the good of the hospital, which can't pay for any more damage that Heiwajima Shizuo caused, but she hadn't expected the usually short-tempered ex-bartender to calmly walk away. There was a reason why the one who lost the rock-paper-scissor match was the one to inform him.

Oh well, she thought lightly with a shrug. The man in dreadlocks seemed to be glaring at her. He hadn't moved from his spot since Heiwajima left, but the nurse figured she didn't need to bother herself with him. He didn't look like he was going to destroy the hospital with his bare hands. And she really wanted to get back to gossiping about the latest soap episode. With that observation made, she made her way towards the hospital.

She was welcomed by the smell of disinfection, antibiotics, and who knows what kind of illness the patients brought. From the looks of awe and surprise that the other nurses threw at her, she figured she wasn't supposed to have made it back out alive. Yet here she was, completely unscathed with a bouquet of flowers in her hands for the young man that the ex-bartender wanted to see. _Talk about luck_!

Ignoring any other looks from the others, she quickly made her way to the curtained room. The feeling of guilt that she had felt before ebbed away when she saw the curtain. This was no way to treat the hospital! Now that she thought objectively about it, this really was the right thing to do. Next time, it might not be an inanimate door that Heiwajima Shizuo attacks. He could, for all they knew, attack either a patient or an expensive/vital hospital equipment.

_Yes_, she thought with a nod, _good has been done here._

* * *

Mikado looked up to the sound of the curtains being pushed aside. Hope flashed on his face before the white nurse uniform caught his eyes. He sighed softly; his shoulders sagging lightly. "Hello," he said, trying hard to fight off the feeling of disappointment.

"Hey there, Ryugamine-kun. I have a gift for you." She pulled the bouquet of flowers out for Mikado to examine. She took the flowers already in the vase by the bedside and replaced them with the new flowers. "Want me to tell you what they mean?" She asked enthusiastically.

Judging from the expensive-looking flowers and the elaborate ribbon tie, Mikado decided that someone rich, possibly Izaya, got them for him. Besides, if his "siblings" wanted to get him something, he had a nagging suspicion that the Otakus would force them to get him something related to anime. And since he didn't know Simon that well, and he couldn't contact anyone back home, it had to be Izaya. After all, why would Shizuo send him anything?

The last thought sent a pang through his chest. But he forced himself to smile, although it never quite reached his eyes. "Yes please," he said, staring at the flowers with his eyes. If only he could move properly, then perhaps he would be able to enjoy the flowers more.

"This flower is called peony," she began by pointing out the biggest flower with ruffles for petals. The whole bouquet was riddled with it in different colors. "It can mean multiple things like wealth, luck, happiness, and good health. I think we know which feeling the sender wanted to express. These flowers here? They're called Gladiolus. They mean, 'I'm sincere.' Aw, that's so cute! And these purple flowers are Hyacinth. It means… Uh… Wait a minute." She took out her phone and began to search the flower on the web. When she found it, she frowned. "Apparently it means, 'I'm sorry.' Not to pry or anything but Ryugamine-kun, did Heiwajima Shizou send you here?"

At the sound of the name, Mikado perked up. "Was Heiwajima-san here?"

The nurse bit her lips, unsure if this would be safe. "Well… yes," she said. "He gave me the flowers. But Ryu-"

"Where is he now?" Desperation and hope seeped into his voice, but Mikado was beyond caring. "Is he still here? Can I see him, please?"

Stammering, the nurse grasped at the straws. She had expected something along the lines of "Heiwajima-is-an-evil-person-who-attacked-me" story that she's always heard. She hadn't expected for the teen to want to see the ex-bartender with hope, of all things. Now that she actually thought about it, it was also unheard of for the stormy man to give a bouquet of flowers to someone he sent to the hospital.

Although it broke her heart, she decided to omit certain parts of the story. "I'm sorry, Ryugamine-kun. But Heiwajima-san left after giving me the flowers."

There was a pause and the nurse swore she could literally hear the gears churning in Mikado's head. It was almost frightful, the sudden seriousness of his face. There was a small frown on his face as he thought, and then a light bulb must have went off, because suddenly, he was smiling again, returning to the sweet young teen that the nurse had gotten used to. "My cell phone!" he said. "Do you know where it is?"

She shook her head no. "We didn't see any cells when we put all your belongings in that box."

His face fell and a soft, "Oh," left his mouth. He thought for a few more seconds and then with a determined glint in his eyes said, "Do you know Izaya-san's phone number?"

* * *

"Hello?" Izaya asked cheerfully. The caller ID had said, "Raira Hospital," and the informant wondered if something had happened to Mikado. Could that idiot Shizu-chan have destroyed part of the hospital because of his temper? If so, then they better not expect Izaya to pay for that damage.

"Izaya-san?"

The best informant in all of Ikebukuro blinked. "Mikado-kun? Is something the matter?"

"I need a favor."

"It'll cost you."

"Fine."

That came out too easily. Izaya frowned. _He better not be doing anything stupid!_ _I'm not paying for any more hospital bills!_

"What do you want?"

"Heiwajima-san's phone number."

There that brat goes again, talking about Heiwajima frigging Shizou. Izaya contemplated rubbing his temples, but then decided that that was too serious. Instead he took in a deep breath and forced himself to not react to his natural enemy.

"It's just that I would call him myself, but I lost my cell phone," Mikado explained. "And I really need to call him."

Oh yeah. Izaya remembered the cell that he had thrown away. He frowned. Normally, he would charge the brat twice as much for bothering him (especially about Shizu-chan), but this whole problem wouldn't have happened if he had never thrown away the cell. It was quite amazing how small things always came back to bite you in the butt. The informant considered his position carefully. Then figuring that this wouldn't be too bad, he told the kid.

"867-5309," Izaya admitted.

"How much do I owe you?"

"A story." _Tell me your secret. Tell me the information that normally won't reach Ikebukuro. _

"Come and visit me sometimes, Izaya-san. I'll tell you then."

Izaya grinned his Cheshire grin. "I'll be seeing you."

* * *

"So what's the problem?" Kida demanded as soon as his underlings sat down on the floor.

The Yellow Scarf members glanced at one another, uncertainty clear on their faces. Then one of them took a deep breath and began.

"We think you should take down Heiwajima Shizuo."

Annoyance flashed in Kida's mind. _Did Seiji set this up?_ _If that meddling idiot did, then…_ He forced himself to calm down, closing his eyes and imagining serene waves of the ocean. Ah, what he would give to be there right now with some beautiful ladies… Once he felt calmer, he dared to open his eyes and face the obviously nervous members.

"Why?"

They flinched under his cold glaze. But they seemed determined about this point. "Because he's nothing but a menace! He will ruin out plots and-"

_Apparently they actually thought this through_, he thought. If they were just parroting someone else, it would be simple to squash them with a simple, "No." But this was more delicate. He had to sow in the seeds to convince them not to hurt Shizuo. After all, the ex-bartender was crucial to Kida's plot to destroy Izaya. The last thing he needed was for loose tongues to wag and the news to reach the informant. Then this episode would end just like six months ago. That was the last thing the fake blonde needed.

"You want to be a murderer?"

The underlings all stared at Kida with wide eyes. "Well… n-no," they all began to stutter.

"Then what are you implying? That we hurt Heiwajima Shizuo to the point that he would want to come and hunt us all down?"

Understanding flashed in their eyes and they all nodded slowly. "So that's it! You're a genius, shogun!"

Kida smirked, but he was sweating bullets on the inside. Just how did he manage to avoid the death sentence? Even to his ears, the reasoning was sound and logical. Almost as if he had thought about this a million times before, which wasn't true at all. He had just pulled the bs answer from his hat of tricks. To think he was this good…

"Now get out before I pass my cold on to you."

* * *

He had the phone number in his injured hand. He had the phone that he borrowed from the hospital in his other hand. Now if only he could muster enough courage to press the right buttons… He sighed for the eighth time in the last five minutes. He wanted to throw his arms up in the air in frustration. He wanted to run his fingers through his hair. He wanted to pace the room. He wanted to do _something_, that didn't involve lying on the bed or sleeping. How did his life go from stuck in his room to a hospital bed?

_Well, what do I have to lose? _He was reminded of Kida's bright laugh and Anri's soft chuckles, and he found himself feeling depressed. In his mind's eye, he could see Shizuo's blushing face, his anger, and the way the man's body reflected his emotions. _I don't want to lose him, too._

Mikado glanced at the phone. _I guess I better call then._

* * *

"I'm sorry Shizuo," Tom told his underclassman. He had chased after Shizuo after the nurse had told them off, and found the ex-bartender on a bench in the park, his head in his hands. Tom stood next to him, wishing he knew a way to cheer him up, but failing to come up with anything.

Shizuo shook his head. "It can't be helped," he declared finally. "I doubt Ryugamine-kun wants to see me again after what I did."

Tom sighed heavily. "Hey-"

_Ring. Ring._

The ex-bartender took his cell phone out and stared at it. "Unknown Caller," he read out loud. Frowning, he glanced at Tom. "Who do you think is calling me?"

Tom felt uncertain about telling Shizuo to pick up the phone. His employee was already in a tentative state. Who knew what he might do if the caller said one wrong thing? However, this might be able to distract Shizuo from the rejection. _Choices, choices_. He breathed in, held it, and then let it out. "I think you should pick up."

The blonde shrugged. "Fine," he said. He flipped the cell open. "Hello?"

"He… Heiwajima-san?"

Every muscle in Shizuo's body froze. There was a loud waterfall in his ears, and roaring drums resonated from his chest. He gulped slowly. "Ryu… Ryugamine… kun?"

"Hi."

Mikado's voice sounded shy, and Shizuo could see in his mind's eye the way Mikado soft, shy smile. Warmth spread from his chest area. The teen was willing to talk to him!

Noticing the soft smile on Shizuo's face, Tom backed away to give him some privacy. _Maybe things will be okay._

"Hey," Shizuo said lamely. "Uh… this isn't your cell."

"Yeah. I seem to have lost it."

The bartender knew without being told what must've happened. Orihara Izaya. He inwardly snarled. He would have snarled out loud, but he wasn't sure of how that would affect his relationship with the young teen. So instead, he changed the subject.

"Well… uh… how're you feeling? I mean… not in pain, right?"

Mikado giggled softly, making butterflies flutter in Shizuo's stomach. "I'm okay. I'm on too much med to feel anything," the young teen said. "I'm also a little bored out of my mind, but what can I say?" There was a slight pause as Mikado took a small breath in. "I… wanted to thank you."

_Why? I sent you to the hospital. Don't thank me._

"The flowers are pretty."

"I'm sorry," Shizuo said finally. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to say but dreading it. "You should stay away from me. I'll just end up hurting you again."

Mikado's answer was soft. A volume below a whisper and Shizuo had to strain to hear it. But even after he heard it, he questioned his hearing. Mikado couldn't have said that, could he?

"I don't mind."

His heart clenched tightly and he wondered if this is what it felt like to experience a seizure. _No, no. He can't mean that. He doesn't understand-_ "Do you have a death wish? You could die next time!"

"Have you ever killed someone, Heiwajima-san?"

"Well… no, but-"

"Then you won't kill me."

"Don't be too sure!"

"Heiwajima-san, you're not a bad person. In fact, You're really a good person."

"But I-"

"You've never met me before, but you offered to take me to Selty-san's place. You could've left me alone then, but you made sure that I had dinner. You helped me find my way around town, you helped me meet Simon-san, and you always paid for my meals. Heiwajima-san, if you aren't a good person, then you have too high a standard for being one."

Shizuo shut his eyes close. Gods, why did those words make him feel so calm? They were just words. Anyone could have spoken them. In fact, Tom had said something similar a while back. However, these words were coming from someone he wanted to hear them from. It was Mikado, who was telling him that he was a good person. It was Mikado, who was trying to reassure him. It was _Mikado_!

"You're going to regret that," he said, but there were no feelings behind those words. He himself couldn't believe in those words.

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes to that. But I can deal with broken bones. I can heal. But I really don't want to lose you."

It was as if someone had dropped a bomb in his head. He couldn't think properly and all that came out of his mouth were random stuttered gibberish. _Did he just say-?_ Shizuo shook his head. _No. He means as a friend. He doesn't want to lose his guide or his dinner. _He smiled. Even if he was being used, the blonde didn't mind it for once. _As long as you need me by your side…_

"Won't you please visit me?"

The request was innocent enough. And Shizuo remembered the way he was chased away from the hospital, without a question like a whipped dog. He gritted his teeth and stood up. "I'll come," he promised without a second thought.

_As if __a nurse is going to stop me again!_

* * *

Izaya hum a happy tune under his breath as he carried the basket of fruits up to Mikado's room. He casted the curtains aside and announced, "I'm here!" in a loud, cheerful voice. His sudden entrance allowed him to overhear the last part of the conversation before Mikado hung up the phone. The younger man looked at Izaya with those brilliant blue eyes and smiled.

"Hello, Izaya-san."

"Who did you invite over?" he asked as he placed the fruit to the side. He made a note of the vase filled with new flowers that he hadn't seen before. _Are the Otakus wasting their money on flowers? Wouldn't it be more in-character for them to buy him mangas?_

"Heiwajima-san!"

_I should never have given him that phone number_. Izaya's smile twitched. "Is that so?"

Understanding flashed in Mikado's eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry. Are you two still fighting?"

_Seeing that we've been fighting since we met each other in high school…. YES!_ The informant looked away instead, picking up an apple from the fruit basket. "Something like that."

"Maybe you should apologize."

Izaya mentally rolled his eyes at the thought. Him? Apologize? To Shizuo, of all people? Like hell! He took out his switch blade and began peeling the apple. "Maybe I'm not the one at fault."

"Maybe you're just running away."

Anger flashed in Izaya's system before he pushed it away. He was Orihara Izaya! He did not become irritated by a simple comment from a brat. Instead, he pasted on a fake smile and handed the kid a slice of the apple. "I thought you were going to tell me a story."

The teen took the apple with his un-bandaged hand with a grateful smile. "Alright," he said. "What kind of story were you hoping for?"

"What about the reason why you came to Ikebukuro?"

Mikado laughed at that. "No way, Izaya-san! You don't _know_?"

_No, you idiot brat. _Izaya forced himself to smile. "Of course I _know_, Mikado-kun. Selty-san and Shinra-kun wanted to go on a honeymoon and they wanted a house-sitter. The answer that I want to know, Mikado-kun, is why _you_. What makes you so special?" He giggled at the look of discomfort on the younger man's face. "I do have a guess. But wouldn't you prefer to tell me?"

"I think I would rather hear your option first."

"You were in love," Izaya started. It was pretty vague, but from the shocked expression on Mikado's face, the informant figured that he was close. _Don't think you can challenge me and get away_, he thought darkly. _I'm the best informant for a reason._ "But he left you and came to Ikebukuro. You chased him here."

"You have it pretty much summed up right there," Mikado admitted, his face lined with grief. He didn't fix the gender mistake on Izaya's part. Nor did he mention that it was a complete coincidence that Kida was also here. Because when he thought upon it, he would have still come to Ikebukuro, even if he knew Kida, and maybe Anri, was here. "There's really nothing more to add to that."

Izaya watched the younger man carefully. Then, just to be a pain in the side, he continued his guess work. "You also don't love Shizuo. You just tell yourself that because they're both blondes."

Before Mikado could react, the curtain to the room was violently shoved aside by one pissed Heiwajima Shizuo. There were shouts and screams down the hall, but all of that faded to background noise when Mikado's blue eyes met with Shizuo's brown ones. Shizuo looked like a mess; his hair was tousled and his clothes wrinkled. To make a long description short, he looked as if he had ran from where ever he was to the hospital, all because Mikado had asked. Was that butterflies that were fluttering in his stomach? Because he sure hadn't eaten enough apples to cause an upset stomach.

"I'm here."

Two words. It was just two words, and Izaya had said the same two words before. But it was Heiwajima Shizuo, who stood there, breathless but excited. There was a faint trace of a smile on the man's face and Mikado couldn't tear his eyes away. So instead, he just smiled.

"Yes, you are."

* * *

Surprise was Izaya's initial response to Shizuo. For once in the bartender's life, he didn't react to Izaya. Instead, his eyes met with Mikado's and the two were staring at each other, as if nothing else in the world mattered. And perhaps, in that moment nothing did.

Who knew this day would come? Someone who liked Heiwajima Shizuo and actually had the feeling reciprocated? Izaya felt sick at the thought. For once, his theory was wrong. The kid was pretty good at hiding things, but the love on his face when the ex-bartender was around… Izaya shuddered.

He would have loved to have left through the doorway. However, one annoying lug was standing there, still staring into Mikado's eyes. Therefore, Izaya was left with one other option. The window. _Undignified_, he thought to himself. _That stupid brat's making me do the damnedest things!_

Once he's made his way out, he could focus on the excited chatter of the hospital staff and patients. They were all exchanging wild glances and loud shouts. _Just what did Shizuo do this time?_ Although annoyed, Izaya figured that he would check this out.

"I can't believe he knocked down the wall!" an old woman exclaimed, her whole body shaking. Whether that was due to the excitement or lack of medical attention, Izaya wasn't sure, nor did he care.

"Young 'uns, these days!" the grandpa next to her said, shaking his bald head. "Overflowing with power!"

"No pops, that's just Heiwajima Shizuo."

"Why's he here?" A hospital staff exclaimed, running around with paper and files fluttering about her. "Oh gods, don't tell me he's here to finish what he's started and-"

She was abruptly cut off by a doctor, who put his hands to his lips and hissed, "Shhh! Listen! I don't hear anything breaking!"

"Maybe he finished it already…?"

A nurse appeared on to the scene. "Guys, that's not it at all. He's just standing in the doorway like some… I don't even know!"

"Why's this happening…?"

Izaya chuckled at the mass confusion in front of him. This was what he loved about humans. They were always so quick to chaos by the smallest little things. Although he hadn't planned this one, the informant figured he would enjoy it while he was here. Human watching was one of his favorite activities, and he hadn't been able to properly sit down and observe due to the brat.

That stupid brat with his hidden secrets! Izaya couldn't wait to tear him apart to get the needed information. The kid maybe annoying, but he was just that, a kid. And Izaya would thoroughly enjoy tossing him aside once his usefulness ran out.

"You don't suppose they're like… a _couple_ or anything, do you?"

Then why the hell did that comment send anger coursing through his veins?


	10. Of Love Signs and Cleaning Supplies

When I started writing this chapter, I feared that it would be one of the shortest chapters. Then Izaya decided to hijack this chapter. For that reason, it's mainly Izaya-centric, but it's long. Don't worry, ShizuoxMikado will return! … unless Izaya hijacks again…

Thank you all for your support and love!

I don't own!

Warning: Time skip, Naughty language, light IzayaxMikado

Recap: Shizuo fought against the hospital and made his way to Mikado's side!

* * *

Izaya was annoyed beyond his wits. It had been exactly six months and three days since the brat had been hospitalized, yet he had little to no alone time with him. First, there were the Otakus. When they weren't out fawning over the latest manga at a bookstore, they were by the brat's bedside with a manga or two to fawn over. Sometimes, they brought DVD sets of anime to watch with him. Whenever the informant walked in, they were either distracted by the newest episode of one-thing-or-the-other. It made doing business more than frustrating, especially since the brat was always more interested in whatever they were watching than what Izaya had to say.

Then there were the other two that hung around the Otakus and the kid. They weren't as bad as the Otakus, but Dota-chin could be an irritating stick when he wanted to. And apparently the brat just brought out the "big brother" side of Dota-chin. So talking business when "big brother" was in was out. And seeing that wherever Togusa was Dota-chin followed, Izaya just gave up on them.

And when the four wasn't there by the kid's side, then there was that one other lug that always hung out (_Jeesh, didn't he have work?_). On a good day, Shizu-chan made him annoyed and want to take out his knife and slice up that stupid face. Izaya hadn't had a good day in over half a year.

In a few days, the kid was supposed to be discharged (_Thank God!)_. This meant that the brat could now get off of the bed and move, thanks to the physical therapy, with no lasting damage, save for weakened muscles. Izaya had visited one of therapy lessons, but then was chased out along with Shizuo by the Otakus. Something about the brat needing space away from bickering. The rest of that visit didn't go so well. Seriously, where does that bartender find enough time to babysit that brat as well as work full-time?

This usually led Izaya to wonder if the fake blonde would be hanging out with the brat even after he's been discharged. By then, wouldn't Mikado convince Shizu-chan to seriously work? And wouldn't Mikado argue that he should go back to work at Aidokusho or some new job? After all, the kid had been adamant about making Shizuo a dinner. Something about… pasta, was it?

_I wonder if I'm still invited._

* * *

"You're being annoying," Nami declared. She was doing household chores for the rich idiot, and the rich idiot was doing his best to make sure to recreate the mess that she had just cleaned. If it wasn't for the fact that he shut down the Yagiri Pharmacy and that he gave her the highest salary offering, she wouldn't have degraded herself working for this man. However, Seiji needed money for his dates and she needed a way to occupy herself other than worrying about her beloved brother with that scamp.

Life sucked.

Izaya shrugged before he continued to flick bread crumbs from the desk to the polished ground.

_I just finished waxing that!_

She gave him her usual trademark blank look. "Why don't you go out and do… whatever it is you've been doing for the past half year?" It was a simple try. She doubted that it would actually get the informant distracted enough.

"You sound jealous," he teased with a grin. "Besides… there're too many flies buzz around him."

An annoyed puff of air accompanied Izaya's comment. The informant looked up at Nami with a raised brow. _Does she want me out of here that badly? Then I better stay here longer!_

"Never stopped you before," she said, returning to dusting the bookshelves. How much books did one informant need anyways? Not to mention some of these books looked more like fiction than something that would help the informant. She wrinkled her nose when she found a spider crawling over one of the books.

There was a small pause as Izaya flicked another bread crumb. "What would you do if you couldn't read this one book?"

_Great. He's ignoring me. _Nami was tempted to make a face, but resisted at the last minute. Instead, she swiped at the spider with her duster. "Find a new book," she answered in a tone that screamed, "Shut up and leave me alone!"

"But this is _the _book," Izaya continued. "You can't just drop it!"

The spider did not budge from its spot on the book. Nami glared at it. "Get someone else to read it to you."

Izaya blinked and stopped flicking the bread crumbs. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, mauling over those words. Then, coming to a conclusion, he shook his head and returned to his bread crumbs. "But you can't let anyone else see it."

With a deep breath, Nami picked up a nearby book and smashed the spider. The loud "thwack" echoed through the room. She looked at the book, found the squashed spider, shuddered, and grimaced when she realized that she would have to clean the mess. "Get deciphering glasses or something."

The informant faked a sigh, as if he was speaking to a dumb child. "But it's not written in code."

Nami finally let the spider be for long enough to face Izaya. "Then burn it. Why keep something you can't read?"

"You're so cruel," Izaya said, "tut"-ing. But amusement and interest lit his eyes.

* * *

Before Izaya walked into the room that morning, he made sure to check all the schedules. First off, Shizu-chan, if he really _was_ working, should be at work. Secondly, Erika suddenly received an urgent order for a very elaborate necklace that should take her at least half the day to complete, while Walker received an equally urgent order to create a dancing penguin sculpture. Thirdly, Togusa received a backstage pass to Hijiribe Ruri's concert that night, and was spending the day dragging Dotachin around various shopping centers to find something "worthy" of Ruri's time. In another word, other than the hospital staff, no one should bother him when he attempted to talk to the brat.

With that thought reassuring him, he pulled the curtain aside and shouted, "Guess who?"

Silence greeted him. There was no "Hello Izaya-san," or even a quick nod in his direction. In fact, the brat was nowhere to be found. Izaya frowned. There hadn't been any therapy assigned for that time slot, which meant the brat should be here, in bed. And yet, his very eyes told him that wasn't the case.

"Izaya-san?" someone called out after a good hour of waiting. Yes, Izaya could have gone to the staff and demanded to know where the little minx was. But that would have shown discomposure and the last thing he wanted was to seem desperate.

The informant looked up to the open curtains to see Mikado, cheeks slightly flushed and breathing a little hard. The boy had been walking around, he realized with annoyance. _Damned kid, always messing up my perfect plans!_

"Here to talk again?" the brat continued as he made his way to the hospital bed. Izaya watched him from his position on the comfortable chair by the bedside. Mikado looked quite healthy, if one forgot about his paleness. But seeing that the teen had always been pale, Izaya figured it had nothing to do with the hospital.

"What can I say?" Izaya asked with a bright smile. "You just bring out the talkative side in me."

The teen broke into a smile, chuckling softly. "Heiwajima-san said the same thing."

He wasn't sure what was worst: the brat comparing him to Shizu-chan or that Shizu-chan said the same thing. "Oh I'm sure he didn't," he insisted. _His brain is incapable to say anything like me._

Mikado shrugged. He dropped himself onto the hospital bed with an unceremonious plop. "What did you want to know this time?"

"Maybe I'm here for friendly chatter," the informant countered with a joking pout. "You make me sound like a workaholic, you know."

"That's because you are, Izaya-san! You're always working. You should go on vacations. Take some time off, you know?"

It was an interesting thought. Partly because it was the brat who suggested it and other part because he hadn't had a real vacation in forever. But really, how could he have any vacation anyways, with information being so high in demand? Besides, where could he possibly go to relax? If there weren't people to watch, he wouldn't enjoy himself. But if there were people to watch, he wouldn't have gotten away from work at all. It was terrible dilemma.

"How sweet of you. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you loved me!"

There wasn't a laugh this time. Mikado's smile fell from his face. Once again, frustration bubbled in Izaya's mind. _Stupid brat, why do you never react the way you're supposed to_? So he forced himself to grin. _Damned kid, always making me do stupid things_.

"Izaya-san, I'm worried."

_What am I? Your counselor? _But how could Izaya ignore the fact that this could potentially lead him to more information? Knowing full well that this could be a trap, the informant took bait.

"If you're worried about Shizu-chan, then don't. You'll just go prematurely bald and although that'd be quite a sight, it's not a sight I would like to grace myself with."

Again, the teen looked grim. Not only was it annoying, it was starting to drive Izaya a little angry. What right did that brat have to shoot down all of his attempts?

"It's not that," Mikado admitted with the smallest of headshakes.

_Not that? Why am I not surprised? The only predictable behavior of his is fixed as soon as I can come to expect it. _If he was the type to, he would have sighed out loud. But instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the brooding figure. _What now, Mikado-kun?_

"It's just…" _My gods, is he biting his lips_? "Izaya-san, why did you pay for the hospital bill?"

"Oh that," Izaya said with a wave of his hand. "I told you, it wasn't that much. You're trying to put too much thought behind nothing."

"Then that much money is nothing to you?"

"Nope. Nothing at all!" Izaya figured this would cause the brat to focus on some other line of topic that would interest him more. Unfortunately, the brat continued to surprise him.

"Then lending me about 2800 Yen is also nothing, right?"

The informant hated the hopeful glint in the brat's eyes. _Don't tell me he wants that for-_

"As soon as I'm out of here, I really want to thank everyone. So I thought that I should invite everyone for some pasta!"

_Dear Gods, is he obsessed?_ Izaya mentally pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he paused for a bit as he contemplated over the words.

"That means I'm invited as well, right?"

* * *

Despite popular belief that Shizuo had completely stopped working to be by Mikado's side, Shizuo actually did show up to work. He went to work, stayed by Tom's side until it was time to leave, then stormed away towards the hospital and stayed there until visiting hours closed. Sometimes, he stayed a little longer than that, because the nurses were too afraid to approach him and he really could care less about the time.

Sometimes, they spent the whole day either talking about everything to playing silly games (_You would think the hospitals would come up with a better way to keep the patients occupied_). Sometimes they talked about little things, like how Mikado liked his eggs scrambled with a dash of ketchup on the side, or how Shizuo preferred to have a bowtie instead of an actual tie because he didn't want to be strangled by it. Sometimes they went a little deeper, but there was one taboo topic for the two of them: the past. No matter what, they never talked about that.

And much later, Mikado stifled a yawn and glanced over at the alarm clock by his bedside. With that concerned frown that caused his forehead to wrinkle, he locked eyes with Shizuo and said, "Heiwajima-san, don't you have work tomorrow?" Then the ex-bartender was forced to pry himself away from the bedside to return to his empty apartment, only to repeat the process the following day.

Of course, this was on the days that he wasn't chased away by the Otaku pair. Sometimes, when he finished with work and arrived at the curtain room of the hospital (_really, were their budget so small that they couldn't get the door fixed already_?), he found the three of them curled up together on the bed or something overly sibling-like (or so they had assured him), watching anime or reading manga. On these days, before the blue-eyed teen could get distracted by Shizuo, he was chased away by the two, who usually said something along the lines of, "What? You didn't bring any gifts? Shame on you! Go back and get something!"

That was usually a hint for "Don't come back here until we're done!"

Besides, it wasn't as if Shizuo knew what to get the kid. After the first few times, Shizuo learned that it was better to just go home on days like these.

There was one other kind of days that he hated- scratch that – _loathed. _These were the days when that stupid fleabag decided that he had the right to be by the teen's bedside because he paid for the hospital fees and all that crap. Psh. Screw sentimentality. If Shizuo had a choice, he wouldn't let the grinning informant anywhere near a hospital. Or rather, his charge.

But Shizuo didn't have a choice. And unfortunately for the rest of the hospital staff, neither did they.

* * *

"But Heiwajima-san!" Mikado exclaimed when he saw Shizuo on the morning of his release from the hospital. "You're supposed to be working!"

Currently, the teen was standing with a box of his belonging (plus a few extra from his loving siblings), waiting for the last of the signatures on the forms to go through. The nurse handling the forms glanced at Shizuo, gulped, and began to work a little faster. There were whispers all around them, both from hospital staff and patients. The ex-bartender wished, not for the first time, that he could smoke inside the hospital.

The night before, the Otakus had said, quite loudly, that they wouldn't be able to make it that morning. Then they had dragged the other two away, adding that all four would be occupied and that they would all see each other at the apartment in the evening. Then both Erika and Walker had given him twin glares as if to give him a warning, before leaving. At the time, Shizuo hadn't thought too much of it. Just the four doing what they did best: being weird. Now that he glanced around the hospital, he secretly wondered if the two had planned for this.

Then the hospital door slammed open and one fleabag waltzed in and Shizuo realized that no, it was much worse. The two may have not planned this, but they were still going to pay for this.

The informant didn't even glance at Shizuo. He made his way confidently towards Mikado with a bright grin. "Ready to go, _Mikado-kun_?"

The ex-bartender swore the fleabag said that on purpose. He glared at the epitome of all evil and placed himself between the two. "He's leaving with me," he gritted between his teeth.

Mikado looked at Shizuo meekly. "Actually, Heiwajima-san, I was planning to go with Izaya-san…"

Hurt flashed on the fake blonde's face. Hurt and betrayal. The blue-eyed teen wondered faintly if that was the expression he wore when Kida left. He then pushed the thought away and tried to mollify the short-tempered man.

"But tonight," he said as he grabbed onto Shizuo's vest. "Won't you please come to the apartment? _Please_?"

And Izaya realized just how whipped Heiwajima Shizuo became.

* * *

"I can't believe you tamed Shizu-chan," he declared as the two made their way towards the local supermarket.

The brat blushed at the comment. "I- I did no such thing! He's just… really kind."

"Right, and Dotachin is actually an elf."

Mikado pouted. "There you go again! You always make Heiwajima-san to be the bad guy."

Izaya faked being hurt. "And you're saying that he isn't?"

Blue eyes gazed into his brown ones with a knowing look. Izaya hated the way the teen could do that. He hated the way the brat could just _glance_ at someone and have them melt at his feet. It wasn't fair at all. It took Izaya years of practice to get the look just right, his personality just perfect. And here, this… _kid_ did it so effortlessly. He hated how easily he got swept away by the kid's eyes.

But before anything else could leave the informant's mouth, Mikado just shook his head with a disappointed sigh and walked away. And Izaya felt an odd pang in his chest as he stared at the small teen's back. He frowned.

_Don't tell me…?_

He reached up to his neck with his forefinger and middle finger and pressed them where he knew he would find it. There. The muscles in his neck twitched with his heartbeat, completely normal. He closed his eyes for the briefest seconds and conjured an image of the teen's blushing face. There, his heartbeat increased its rhythm by exactly 2.5 beats per second. Still not believing the evidence, he pulled out his cell phone. Using the reflective dark screen, he looked at his face and… _Hell_. His face was 1.5 times a darker shade of red than usual.

A low groan escaped his lips as realization flooded him. _Fuck_, he thought. _I'm in love._

* * *

_I was planning to go with Izaya-san._

Those words had left the boy's mouth so easily. And Shizuo couldn't stop those words repeating in his mind as he trailed after Tom. He didn't remember going back to his job. He didn't remember talking to Tom. But here he was, following his upperclassman, doing the job of the mean, imposing figure in the background. For once, he was thankful that he didn't have to think during this job.

_I was planning to go with Izaya-san_.

But _why_? What was so important that Mikado wanted to spend time with the fleabag? There was a voice in the back of his mind, nagging at him about the possibilities. _Ryugamine obviously don't want to spend any more time with you_, the voice whispered. _He wants the fleabag because you can't control yourself. Admit it, Shizuo. Izaya is the control that you can never reach._

And dammit, Shizuo knew that. He knew that he could never be like Izaya, but he had prided himself on that! He thought that was his one good point. He thought Mikado had appreciated that.

His shoulders sagged and his footsteps dragged. He could feel Tom's worried glance, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment in time. Whether the teen realized it or not, he had chosen Izaya over Shizuo. And just how was the ex-bartender supposed to take that?

* * *

Mikado rushed over to Izaya, grocery of all the necessaries in his hands. The argument of few minutes ago must've slipped the teen's mind, because he was beaming as he ran. "Izaya-san!" he said with a bright smile. "Can you believe it? It was on sale!"

_Of course it was on sale. Don't you think there's a reason why I chose this particular shop?_ But instead, Izaya just smirked back. Although he hated to admit it, the brat did look rather adorable when he was smiling brightly like that… The informant shook his head. _No. I will not let this stupid brat make me go soft._

The young teen, not realizing Izaya's inner monologue, tugged at Izaya's jacket sleeve. "C'mon, Izaya-san! Let's go already!"

"Excited to be alone with me?" the informant asked with a raised brow and a growing grin. No, that was not a warm, fuzzy feeling growing in his chest. What do you think he was, the Grinch? "Why Mikado-kun, all you had to do was ask."

Mikado laughed, brushing aside the come-on as easily as if it was a joke. "No, silly! I have to prepare."

"It's 10:38 AM. It shouldn't take more than an hour to cook pasta. Pray tell me _why_ we have to be at Celty's apartment so early?"

"Izaya-san," the teen said with graveness that tugged at Izaya's lips. "No one's been in that apartment for about half a year. Can you imagine the amount of dust gathered by now?"

"And you of course, being the smart little teen that you are, remember the way to Celty's house?" Izaya was teasing, and he couldn't believe how easily those words fell from his mouth. How easily, the teen smiled. _Smiled because of _him!

Mikado looked a little put down at the question. He tilted his head down so that he looked through his eyelash to see Izaya. Then, with a shy smile, he said, "I take bunch of turns?"

It wasn't even that funny. Izaya could count the times that he had laughed like that in his life on one hand. But given the situation, with the _brat_, of all people, Izaya couldn't help but to explode into laughter. He wrapped an arm loosely around the teen's thin shoulders, marveling at the way the little one just seemed to _fit_.

"I suppose I have no choice but to take you there!" Izaya declared with fake disdain. His eyes met the bright blue and the two giggled.

_If only this moment would last..._

* * *

The best informant in all of Ikebukuro stood there, dumbfounded as the small teen began his work. Scary, he decided finally. The small teen, despite how fragile he looked, was scary when he began cleaning. Thus far, the kid had tackled the living room and the kitchen, stating that those two was the most important. But with the rate the kid was going…

Izaya gulped. _Even Nami isn't that scary when she's cleaning!_

"Izaya-san!"

The sound of his own name caused extreme discomfort as the object of his affection turned to face him. The teen pulled out a duster from the items that he had bought from the shop. "Start dusting!"

_I'm not even going to comment on the irony behind this._

* * *

It was 6:30 PM; work was officially over for the day. And yet, one Heiwajima Shizuo refused to budge from the park. This was beginning to wear down Tom's endless patience. When the ex-bartender had mentioned that today was the day that Mikado discharged, Tom had gladly allowed him the day off. And yet, he had followed behind Tom all day with a lost look on his face and now he wasn't even going to leave.

"Shizuo-"

"I know!"

Tom flinched at the undeserved snap. He was unsure if he wanted to approach Shizuo or not. Perhaps it would be for best if he just left Shizuo here…? His musings were cut short by the sound of the ex-bartender's ring tone.

Shizuo growled something dark under his breath but fetched his cell out anyways. He frowned and stared at the phone screen. _Unknown Caller_. Feeling an odd sense of déjà vu, he accepted the incoming call and pressed the cell against his ear.

"Hello?"

"Heiwajima-san? It's Mikado."

The ex-bartender breathed slowly, wondering slightly why he wasn't smoking. "Is something wrong?" _Why do you sound so hesitant? Are you here to tell me to go fuck myself?_

"You're coming, right? You're definitely coming?"

_He wants me there?_ A wave of hope rushed over him, but he ruthlessly stomped them down. "I'll come," he said softly.

_I'll come even if you want me to die._

* * *

Erika practically bounced into the doorway and was greeted by the thick smell of delicious Italian food. "That smells great!" she exclaimed. "I wonder if this is how it smelled when Marui and Youichi had their spaghetti match."

"To be truthful, I prefer _Addicted to Curry _over _Mister Ajikko_ ," Walker admitted. "It's really unrealistic, the bond between Youichi and Genjiro-"

"Blasphemy!"

As the two became distracted by the argument that no one else could understand, Kadota and Togusa sighed and gently led the other two into the apartment. Oddly for a place that was empty for about half a year, it was as clean and spotless as if someone had been cleaning there daily. This strand of thought worried Kadota. It shouldn't be healthy for the kid to work so hard after being discharged. He frowned. _I'm going to have to talk to Shizuo about that._

But then the four had a near heart attack when they entered the kitchen. Mikado was humming by the stove, his back to them. But that wasn't what was so shocking. It was the presence of one Orihara Izaya and the absence of one Heiwajima Shizuo. The four looked uneasily at one another, one question running through their heads: _Where's Shizuo?_

"Mika-chi!" Erika shouted, scandalized. "Are you cheating on Shizu-chan?"

The teen flinched at the sudden noise, almost dropping the pan of tomato sauce. "Erika-nee! Walker-nii! Kadota-nii! Togusa-nii! You're here!" Then he paused at the question that Erika had asked. He turned to Izaya, an amused smile on his face and said, "No, I'm pretty sure Izaya-san isn't cheating on Heiwajima-san. I think they're still arguing."

Before any of the five could finally fix the misunderstanding, the doorbell rang. Mikado's eyes lit up. Quickly putting the tomato sauce to the side, he ran out of the kitchen and towards the door.

"Hewiajima-san!" he shouted, joy coloring his voice. He opened the door widely and grinned at the bartender, who had his sunglasses on.

"Hey."

If Mikado noticed the hesitation, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he reached for Shizuo and tugged the ex-bartender in. "Thanks for coming," he whispered to the fake blonde. "This means a lot."

Shizuo tilted his head down so that he could meet Mikado's eyes without his sunglasses getting in the way. And with all sincerity in his heart he said, "Anytime."

The blue-eyed teen flushed a beautiful color, his smile growing. "I made some pasta for you," he said.

The ex-bartender smiled softly. When Shizuo smiled like that, one forgot about his tremendous strength. In fact, the informant couldn't help but to do a double take when he saw it. _Shizu-chan can smile? _

The sound of something grinding snapped Izaya out of his stupor. Of course. How could he forget? That stupid lug of a man was standing in his way again. But he wasn't known as the best informant in Ikebukuro, if not the world, for nothing. A plan formed in his mind and he couldn't hold back his Cheshire grin.

_Like hell I'll go down without a fight._

* * *

Kida stared at the informant blankly for the longest seconds. "Oh," he said finally. _So he _is_ still alive. Better get back to my plans then._

"So sorry I couldn't play with you earlier," Izaya said with a giggle. "But Shizu-chan acquired a new toy that I just _had _to snatch."

_For six months…? _Kida didn't reply. He just nodded sharply, wishing the man took a hint and left. _Maybe I can use this toy to my advantage._

"In fact, I came here to give you and the Yellow Scarves something fun to do." With Izaya's grinning face, Kida was never sure whether to take him seriously or not. "It's quite simple."

Izaya pulled out a fairly sized box from his jacket pocket and tossed it to Kida. The leader of Yellow Scarves frowned and opened the box, only to freeze at the sight. A gun. The words _Glock 17 _was inscribed on the side of the pistol and the young teen found his head spinning. _He's not serious, is he? There's no way…_

"Kill Heiwajima Shizuo."


	11. Of Suicidal Jumps and First Kisses

You know, I'm starting to feel really bad for the shop owner of Aidokusho. He just always seems to be stuck in a terrible place. I mean, first Otakus ruining his manga section, then Mikado with Shizuo and now… well… _this_ chapter.

I don't own.

Warning: Actual ShizuoxMikado (finally!), foul language, and silliness on Shinra's behalf.

Recap: Mikado is finally out of the hospital, but Izaya's latest plan just might send him back.

* * *

Mikado yawned and rubbed his eyes. A glance at the clock informed him that it was 3:45 AM. _Who's calling now?_

The party had ended without too big mess, especially considering that they had Izaya and Shizuo in one room together. Thankfully, Izaya had ran off as soon as he finished eating, saying something about a meeting. And soon after, the four left, at the insistence of the Otakus, who winked at Mikado and glared at Shizuo. And by the time Shizuo left, it was past midnight and Mikado still had dirty dishes. And just when he had about half an hour of sleep, what should happen? Someone called him.

Feeling a little annoyed, but too polite to show it, he picked up the phone and asked, "Hello?"

"Ah, Mikado-kun! I was beginning to get a little worried!"

The blue-eyed teen frowned, trying to place the voice. Where had he heard that voice before? It wasn't any time recent, he knew. But as familiar as it was, he just couldn't place it. Did he even hear the voice before?

"Hello? Mikado-kun? You still there?"

"Ah. Ye-yes. I'm here. It's just… really late and-"

"That's right! Time zones! I completely forgot about that!" Something about the tone of the man's voice told Mikado that that wasn't the case at all. But the man continued on, as if Mikado's sleepiness didn't matter to him at all. "But I thought that we put off calling you long enough!"

It was then that Mikado realized who he was talking to. "Shinra-san?"

"Don't interrupt me yet, Mikado-kun. You see, we were planning to call you as soon as we got to Ireland," Shinra continued with enthusiasm that threatened to give Mikado a headache. "But then there was a tsunami-"

_Tsunami? Didn't those only occur on sea? Did they go on a boat, instead of a plane? That's a little odd, but Shinra-san _is_ pretty odd._

"-and would you believe it? We got _shipwrecked! _And of course, of all the islands to be shipwrecked on, we got abandoned on the one island where there was no connection to the outside world. At all!"

_Of course. It's only natural for that to happen_. Mikado blinked. He hadn't realized he could be so sarcastic. It must've been the lack of sleep.

"So with nothing else to do, all the people worked together in order to survive. First, we made a SOS sign. You know those giant SOS signs in movies? Yeah. That. Then we searched through the island to find anything to eat, in case we got stuck there for a long time. Luckily, the plants weren't poisonous and we had plenty of coconuts. We also found this giant storage filled with imperishable food and goodies, so we were pretty lucky. And then…. Then!"

Mikado rubbed his eyes, wishing Shinra would just hurry up.

"Selty wore a bikini!"

There was a soft "thud" sound in the background and Mikado heard Shinra apologize profoundly to someone. Even without seeing it, he could imagine Selty standing over the man with her arms crossed in front of her chest. He chuckled softly.

"So we waited a while. And other stuff happened, but because Selty's shy, I don't think I'm allowed to tell you about them. After waiting for half a year, a ship finally came to our rescue. But to our dismay, it was a pirate ship!"

_Is he writing a story or something? _

"So my sweet, heroic Selty went out and fought off the pirates with her trusty horse!"

… _Horse? _

"And so, here we are! … By the way, Selty wants to know if Ikebukuro is treating you well."

Mikado blinked. Then a warm smile graced his lips. "It is absolutely wonderful."

"That's a relief. You actually sound like you mean it." And Shinra actually sounded serious. "And seeing that you're still at the flat, Shizuo didn't send you to the hospital, nor did you have a run in with the Yellow Scarves! Lucky you."

The blue-eyed teen wisely kept the truth to himself. He had a tingling that it just might be a bad idea to tell Shinra. "So when would you be back?"

"Ah? Well, we have to finish up some press coverage and all that. And we never got to see Ireland." Without seeing the man himself, Mikado could hear the pout in his voice. "But Selty says that she had a pretty good vacation. And I'm sure work's piled up. So, as unfortunate as it sounds, we'll probably be back in about a week or so."

_A week…?_ Mikado glanced around the room. A thick layer of dust had gathered everywhere, much to his shame, and cobwebs could be spotted in nearly every corner. Despite his attempts to clean everything, he really had only managed to get the dining room and the kitchen clean. _Well, I'm sure I can clean everything within a week._

"I can't wait to see you guys then."

"Neither can we! And I can't wait to see your face when you see the gifts we're bringing back!"

_Why do I get the feeling that it's a coconut?_

* * *

For the life of him, Kida couldn't sleep. He steadily paced and worn down the small yellow carpet that an underling had gotten him for his birthday. To say that his feet were throbbing with pain was an understatement. He wouldn't be surprised if he looked down now and see blisters already forming. He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.

_Kill Heiwajima Shizuo_…

Just why was it that practically everyone around him wanted the ex-bartender dead? Sure, he was rather hot-headed and liked to beat the crap out of Yellow Scarves members, but didn't everyone? Other than the fact that the Yellow Scarves would be more prominent if Shizuo died, there really wasn't any other reason to get rid of him. Besides, even if they got rid of him, there was always the Black Rider. And the last thing Kida wanted was for Izaya to give him another gun and tell him to kill _her_.

And why did that blasted informant want Shizuo dead _now_? They knew each other since high school years, or so Seiji had mentioned that one time (how he knew this information, Kida didn't ask), and Izaya never got rid of the ex-bartender. So why now? What changed? And worst of all, why him?

There were thousands of others, Kida was sure, who would jump at the chance to do Izaya's bidding. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if the informant wanted to hire an assassin and anonymously get rid of Shizuo. After all, nothing else screamed, "Orihara Izaya was here" than a mysterious death with no evidence to point back at Izaya. Which brought back Kida's original point. Why him?

Obviously it was some sort of a plot. Izaya never did anything without a grand goal in mind. The only problem was that Kida just wasn't sure _what_ the grand plan was. Perhaps Izaya wanted to remind Kida who the boss was? If so, weren't there thousands of other methods of doing that? This just made no sense! Of course, there was _that _reason.

Izaya didn't need Kida anymore.

Kida sighed dramatically and dropped himself onto the bed. _And killing Shizuo brings up another problem. How am I going to get back at Izaya without Shizuo?_ He covered his eyes with his arm. "Damn it all."

* * *

It was 9:30 AM and Heiwajima Shizuo was standing in front of the apartment door, a bento in one hand. He tugged nervously at his collar, debating whether or not if now would be too early to ring the doorbell. He had come earlier than last time in hopes that he could take the kid to the bookstore before his work started. But now that he was actually here, in front of the door, he just wasn't sure.

_What if he was planning to spend the day with Izaya?_ He pushed the thought away. _Whatever Izaya is to the kid, he's still my charge!_

He knocked. After three minutes of knocking, the door finally clicked open and a drowsy Mikado stood in the doorway. He yawned a little and rubbed his eyes. And - _My god, those plain blue pajamas make him look adorable._

"Hello Heiwajima-san," he said softly. "Would you like to come in?"

"Actually, I have to go to work," he said quickly. "But I thought you might want to go to the bookshop before I left."

Blue-eyes lit up at that, and a grateful smile appeared on the boy's face. Shizuo fought against a blush. He was not going to go red. Especially not because of a simple smile.

"Thank you!"

_Oh screw it._

* * *

The owner of Aidokusho stared at the two with an unreadable expression on his face. On one hand, he was terrified that _the_ Heiwajima Shizuo was standing right before him… glaring. On the other hand, the young boy from six months ago was giving him a sheepish smile. He hid a groan and looked at the two of them again. _I had six months of peace. And now this?_

"And that's the situation," Mikado explained, completely oblivious to the glares Shizuo was sending the shop owner. "So I hope you don't mind me starting over?"

_You have Heiwajima Shizuo backing you. You have the Otakus not too far behind him. Do you really think I can refuse and get away alive?_

The shop owner let out a nervous chuckle. "Hehe, of course not! Come right through!"

The pile of mangas in the corner had grown, Mikado noticed with a frown. But otherwise, the store was kept in the pristine state it usually was. The mess that Shizuo had left last time was nowhere to be seen. _Then again, that was six months ago._

Shizuo gently tapped him on the shoulder. "I have to get to work," he told the teen as he handed the bento over. "But I want you to call me whenever you can. And don't forget to eat. I'll come to pick you up at… 7, did you say?"

Mikado nodded.

"Alright. See you then."

There was one more thing he wished he could've said, but he held his tongue. Currently, the young teen looked happy to be among books, and the ex-bartender really didn't want to ruin that. If only he could convince his gut to stop wrenching…

* * *

Izaya hummed a happy tune to himself as he walked down the streets of Ikebukuro. It was almost lunch time and he had a wonderful lunch date planned in his mind to share with _his_ brat. If memory served, which it always did, a turn to the left here should take him to-

Ah. There it was. Aidokusho. The significantly small bookshop that barely had customers, if any. The same one that the Otakus liked to visit, for the shop owner was spineless and allowed them discounts. Also the same one that Mikado worked at. The informant grinned happily to himself. Without a second thought of what others might think, he opened the door and cheerfully shouted in.

"Mikado-kuuuun!" he waved over to the brat, who was trying to reorganize the manga section. "Have lunch with me!"

The informant ignored all others in the store. They could freeze like little bunnies and stare and gape at him all they wanted. There was only one target that Izaya wanted today and that target would soon be dead if the brat cooperated. Izaya grinned and motioned for Mikado to come close.

"I've already had my lunch break, Izaya-san," Mikado said apologetically. "I didn't know anyone was coming."

At this, Izaya glanced at the shop owner and grinned. "Is that so?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the shop owner. And just as predicted, the owner cracked under pressure.

"It's fine with me! It's completely fine!" he shouted from his safe spot from behind the biographies. _Hah! Like that'll save him from me!_

With a bright grin adorning his face, the informant turned back to Mikado. "Let's go!"

The brat looked uncertain, but he nodded slowly. "Alright," he said. "Where are we going?"

_Like hell I'll ruin the surprise!_ Izaya turned around, leading the kid away. "You'll see," he said, unable to stop grinning. "You'll see."

* * *

The trap was set and Kida was feeling like crap. Two Yellow Scarves members stood visibly in front of a six-story building. They were the bait. Heiwajima Shizuo would stop and start to fight them because the two would challenge him (not that _that_ required a brain). What the ex-bartender didn't know, however, was the fifteen or so members waiting with lethal weapons such as chains, crowbars and big, wooden clubs. They were, obviously, hidden throughout the street and down the alley, all waiting for the sign of violence. And there was Kida himself, who was standing across the street from the two baits, with a newspaper in between his hands. He was wearing a white beanie, but as long as he wore the yellow bandana, he was easy to identify as a member of Yellow Scarves.

The minute the streets became full with Yellow Scarves members, the normal citizens would run the other direction. This would give Kida the minutes that he needed for murder. And this would make sure that his identity as the shooter diminished. Of course, the crowd of the Yellow Scarves served one other purpose. They would hold Heiwajima still. It wasn't as if Kida shot people often for fun, and this would make certain that he wouldn't miss.

_Gods, I sound like a pro._

He gritted his teeth. If only he knew where Izaya would be hiding, he would rather shoot the informant. Oh how that'd make life so much easier! He snorted. _Right. Like murder is ever easy._

Besides, there was one flaw to Izaya's oh-so-glorious plan. It relied on the fact that Heiwajima Shizuo would walk this way. And what if the ex-bartender decided to take a different route? Then the plan fell apart before it could ever begin. However, when Kida had brought up this when Izaya had told him the game plan, the informant had just grinned and told him, "He'll come."

_Maybe Erika was actually right and they're dating. At least it'll explain why Shizuo would ever come._

* * *

It wasn't a chilly day, but that didn't mean anything when they were standing on the roof of a six-story building. Izaya looked around and spotted a man wearing white beanie and knew that things were going according to plan. _Kida-kun is in place._ And now he needed the next piece. He turned around and faced Mikado, who looked confused as to why they were on the rooftop.

"Izaya-san," he said, "why are we here?"

_To watch my grand plan unfold, of course!_ Izaya mentally grinned, but outwardly, he put on his most sincere expression. "Mikado-kun, I've thought over what you told me the other day. And I've come to the conclusion that I do need to apologize to Shizu-chan." Although those words were a lie and he had no intentions of apologizing to _anybody_ (especially to that stupid lug of a man!), he still couldn't fight off the grimace on his face when he said those words.

"That's great!" Mikado, as predicted, exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you, Izaya-san!"

_What am I, a dog?_ Izaya pushed the thought away. Instead, he smiled and said, "So I thought you could call him. You know, since he's angry at me, he hasn't picked up any of my calls."

"Of course!" the brat said, looking rather happy that he was helping his love rival. Then the whole situation must've sudden cleared up for him, because his smiling face fell. "But then you two would get back together."

The informant had planned for this and was delighted that the brat was actually acting as predicted for once. Figuring that he might as well as use this to his advantage, Izaya pushed on.

"I was actually going to break up with him," he said. "I decided that if all Shizu-chan ever does is make me angry, why should I stick with him? And you know, since this is a sensitive issue, I thought it would be a much better conversation face-to-face, if you catch my drift."

This answer mollified the young teen, who happily called Shizuo to the building.

_Perfect. Everything's all set up and ready to roll!_ His plan would come alive within minutes and Izaya felt like a kid on Christmas Eve. He just couldn't wait for everything to occur! Everything would be set into action once Shizuo arrived. Then as the Yellow Scarves hold the man down, Mikado would probably do one of two things. He could run down the six-story building to the scene, only to witness his old crush, Kida, kill his new crush, Shizuo. Or he could stay standing on the roof, and watch the whole scene where it was safe. But knowing the brat's tendency to try and get in the way of danger, he was more likely to run down there.

_And he won't be fast enough to save Shizuo! _The thought filled the informant with insurmountable glee. Just the idea that Mikado would witness the death made the death more satisfying than it usually would be. He grinned. _Perfect. Everything is so perfect!_

"Heiwajima-san said that he would be here soon." Mikado's voice cut through Izaya's planning, but for once, the informant didn't mind.

"Uh… Izaya-san," Mikado said, biting his lips uncertainly. "I'm just a little confused. Why now? I… I mean… Erika-nee made it sound like you guys loved each other deeply. But-"

"And you're confused as to why I had a sudden change of thought. It's quite simple, Mikado-kun. Shizu-chan has become too predictable."

At Mikado's wrinkled brow, the informant gladly explained.

"You see, I love humans. I love the way they laugh when they feel happy. I love the way they wrinkle their foreheads in confusion. I love the way they cry when a tragedy befalls them. I love how they try so hard to deny the truth, and I love the way they try to undercut one another for whatever they believe to be the best outcome. I love humans! Their existence, their lives, their whole being! I love them all! It makes my job easy, because my love for humans allows me to predict them."

Mikado's frown deepened. "And if there was someone you couldn't predict, would you go after them?"

"Yup!"

Blue eyes watched Izaya carefully. It reminded the informant of the day, so long ago, when he first realized that the teen was hiding something. Like a predator watching its prey. It excited him as well as unnerve him.

"Good thing you can predict all the humans in the world, Izaya-san." It was said off-handedly. Almost like a joke, something Izaya should've been able to easily brush off. But those eyes!

"And yet here you stand. My job is all about predicting humans, Mikado-kun. I predict them because it's easy, because I love them all. They're all open books! I read them and get my information, because I love humans! Do you understand? My job is easy because humans are easy. And yet here you stand. You defy all expectations. You defy all human logic. You're impossible to predict!"

Mikado's shoulders tensed, but his voice was light as always. Izaya was certain he saw understanding flash behind those blue eyes. But he didn't comment and the brat didn't bring it up. "I'm easy to predict, Izaya-san."

"Lie. And you know that I'm right. The question becomes why. Why are you so hard to predict? Could it be-"

"Maybe you weren't meant to predict me."

Again, those words were spoken lightly, but there was a slight bite to them. Different from last times, Izaya noted with delight. He was getting to the brat.

"No," the informant declared. "That's not it at all, is it, Mikado-kun? You're purposefully making it hard to predict you. Know what I think? I think you're hiding behind a mask. The current you that everyone knows is a lie."

Mikado chuckled softly at that and shook his head. "That's not it at all, Izaya-san," the brat said softly. He smiled as if pained. "You're wrong."

_I hate how he can turn me around so easily._ But before Izaya could open his mouth, the screaming began.

Heiwajima Shizuo had arrived.

"Would you look at that?" Izaya said. He looked over the rooftops and easily spotted the bartender outfit in the throngs of weapon-wielding Yellow Scarves members. "Shizu-chan looks to be in trouble!" He tried very hard to hold back a giggle. He really did.

Mikado ran to his side within seconds and looked over. His eyes found the tall figure, who received a heavy blow to the head, causing red blood to fall freely from the blonde hair. The color drained from Mikado's already pale face. "Heiwajima-san!" he breathed, worry clear in his voice. He flinched as he watched Shizuo exchange blows with the Yellow Scarves members. "Izaya-san! We have to help him!"

Izaya motioned towards the stairway down. _Go ahead. And by the time you're there, Shizu-chan would be loooooooong dead! _

But instead of dashing off for the stairs as the informant had predicted, Mikado did something strangely outrageous. He glanced around the block and then nodded. He took a deep breath, and took a step up on to the ledge.

Izaya balked. _He's not going to…?_

The brat jumped.

* * *

"Heiwajima-san!"

The shout grabbed everyone's attention. They were all quick to locate the source of the sound to come from a teen, who seemed to have jumped from the top of the rooftop. The Yellow Scarves members glanced at each other. This wasn't part of the plan!

Then Shizuo broke out into flurry of movements. He pushed and threw random people out of his way as he rushed towards the falling teen. When he was right below the kid, he spread out his arms as if to catch him.

The Yellow Scarves members, unsure what to do now, all turned to the figure holding the newspaper on the other side of the street. Kida had been making his way over, to do his part of the plan. But now their shogun was in the middle of the street, one hand in his jacket packet, where the gun undoubtedly was hidden. Instead of whipping out the gun to take aim or to finish making his way towards the crowd, Kida just stood there. There was something akin to panic in their boss's face, something akin to pure shock and disbelief.

Kida took one step forwards, his mouth opening in a soundless scream-

_Why is he here?_

-as Shizuo braced himself and caught Mikado in his arms, before he rolled to lessen the force. The two rolled their way until they met the wall of the building. Luckily for Mikado, Shizuo's back met the hard solid, cushioning the impact. Instead, his ear was filled with Shizuo's hiss and a soft curse. By the time the movement died out, Shizuo held Mikado bridal style, their faces only inches away from one another.

Mikado slowly let out the breath he had been holding. _Safe. _He was safe. And-

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Shizuo exclaimed, not realizing that his mouth was too close to Mikado's ears for that kind of screaming. "You could've been seriously hurt! Do you _want_ to end up in the hospital again? _Were you thinking at all_?"

Kida breathed slowly. That was Mikado. There was no question about that. It had only been a year, but he hadn't changed a bit. The Emperor – _his _ex-best friend_ –_ was in Heiwajima Shizuo's arms. He closed his eyes, forcing his heart to slow down. _Damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen! Shit! Why's he here? Why here of all places and-_

"Shogun?"

His eyes snapped open and he realized that he was still in the middle of the street, the Yellow Scarves members all uneasily around him. He wet his lips, because really there was only one thing to say.

"Retreat!"

_- and why Heiwajima Shizuo?_

* * *

Izaya stared at the sight before him. Once again, the brat destroyed yet another of his prediction, bringing down with him the grand plan. Soft laughter escaped his mouth before it exploded into full-out laughter. _Damn you_, he thought as he laughed. _Damn you for making me want you_.

* * *

"He-Heiwajima-san!" Mikado said, desperately trying to calm the other man. "It wasn't- I wasn't- please listen!"

But Shizuo wasn't listening. He was still shouting at Mikado at the close distance, which really wasn't good for the teen's ears. Then Shizuo finally stopped, sighing deeply. He showed no signs of letting Mikado go either. Not that the teen was complaining. He felt safe and warm in those arms. Almost as if nothing would ever hurt him. _Content_.

Then Shizuo looked at Mikado. Ordinarily, Mikado would've been distracted by the cocoa brown eyes before him. However, he could not tear his blue eyes away from the blood still pouring from the man's head.

"C'mon, Heiwajima-san," he said finally. "Let's get that looked at."

Shizuo slumped and slowly unclenched his hands, allowing Mikado freedom. _But I don't want to leave._ He scolded himself for being so silly. Instead, he slowly stood, and moved to support Shizuo as the ex-bartender tried to stand. He put Shizuo's left arm around his neck and waited patiently for him to regain his balance. A quick look around assured him that the Yellow Scarves would no longer bother them.

Mikado let out the breath he had been holding. Now if only he could help support Shizuo back home…

"Do you know the way back?"

_Ah, this is awfully familiar._ Mikado smiled softly. "I just take a bunch of turns, right?"

A ghost of a smile touched Shizuo's face. "Not Selty's place," he said. "Mine."

Blue eyes widened. _He's not serious…?_

"Take me home, Ryugamine-kun. _My_ home."

Mikado nodded slowly, gulping. "Okay, Heiwajima-san."

Shizuo scowled. "And stop calling me that. It makes me sound old."

Soft chuckles vibrated from the small body up to Shizuo's. "Alright," Mikado said. "Then you have to call me Mikado, Shizuo-san."

"Drop the 'san,' too. You said so yourself. You're not a little kid."

There was the briefest of pauses as Mikado considered this. Then he shyly peeked up at Shizuo through his eyelashes, an adorable pink spreading across his cheeks. "Shizuo," he said, dropping all suffixes. "Let's go home."

The ex-bartender didn't bat an eye. Instead he nodded, satisfied. "Left here," he said pointing away. "Mikado."

Mikado let out an excited exclaim. He laughed heartily, tugging Shizuo along towards the direction.

_Well it's going pretty well…_ The ex-bartender looked at the bundle of joy. _Let's push my luck a little further._

"I must've been hit harder than I thought," he said, his eyes never leaving Mikado.

The reaction was instantaneous. Blue eyes widened in fear and concern. White teeth nibbled worriedly at plump, pink lips. "Hei- Shizuo?" he whispered. "Does it hurt a lot? Should I call a cab?"

Shizuo lowered his head until their foreheads touched. He faintly registered the worry Mikado extruded. But he could not tear his eyes away from those soft-looking-

"I really want a taste," he said. "Forgive me a little later, would you?"

Then his lips closed the gap between the two.


	12. Of Empty Apartments and Grand Plans

I'm really sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I'm not confident about certain scenes at all (You'll see which ones). On the other news, this story is nearing its climax. In another words, it will be ending soon. Yes, the sad ending with the _Operator_ is slowly approaching. I have debated on different ways to end the story. We'll see how it turns out when we get there.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful encouragements. Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint! And if there's any problems/complaints (especially about the kissing scenes) or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Warning: foul language by the Yellow Scarves

Recap: Shizuo have escaped the first attempt at his life, thanks to Mikado's jump, but Izaya is far from giving up.

* * *

Shizuo had never kissed anyone before. Well, it couldn't be helped, seeing that he had a hot temper that made everyone run to a corner and cower. No one ever approached him about anything, and he didn't approach them. Except for Selty. But she didn't count, since she, you know, didn't exactly have a head. Not to mention she just recently got married to Shinra. And why was he thinking about this when his lips were against another guy's?

Because he had absolutely no idea what to do.

Yeah, sure he saw people make-out before. But Shizuo had always thought kissing was well... _private. _You just don't stare at others as they made out. That was rude. Worse, that made him a perverted voyeur. He knew that you put your lips on another's. But… what then? What do you do?

Mikado, on the other hand, had kissed girls before. It had been a requirement to be a friend with Masaomi. The boy had been a man whore (not that Mikado would ever call his ex-best friend that), and in order to prove to him that Mikado wasn't a coward, Mikado had been dragged to various parties and blind dates, where he had been forcefully grabbed by a girl (sometimes two) and had the life kissed out of him (He vaguely wondered if this was the reason why he had been deathly afraid of asking Anri out).

So when Shizuo, after initiating the kiss, didn't move, Mikado took control. Gently applying pressure, he slowly worked on opening the ex-bartender's mouth. He could feel the other shudder, which was a good sign (or so Masaomi had said when he gave Mikado a quick advice on kissing). Not to mention the shudder tickled. He found himself smiling lightly as his tongue brushed against Shizuo's lips. Warm, calloused hand ran through his hair until it reached his neck and held him close. He would have loved to run his hands through the dyed blonde hair, but he was afraid of dropping the older man. Instead, he poured his heart out through the kiss.

_Perfect. _It felt perfect and… Were those fireworks going off in the back of his mind? Shizuo let out something that sounded like a growl and a groan. This was pure bliss. This was a feeling only Mikado arouse from him. It was-

The ex-bartender hissed a curse when his body met the ground. He looked up at Mikado, who was looking at him with something akin to fear and… guilt? What had happened? There had been fireworks and passion and everything, so why did Mikado pull away? _Was I bad?_

Mikado stared down at the heap that was Shizuo, a strange feeling of horror and guilt stirring in his stomach. He stuttered, unable to get any of his thought process to work. Shizuo slowly pushed himself up, looking confused and almost like a kicked puppy. And despite the guilt, all Mikado could stutter out was one word – or rather, a name.

"I… Izaya-san!"

At the mention of the flea, the ex-bartender's head snap up. He glanced swiftly around, causing Mikado to wonder faintly how he managed to see when the blood was still dripping from the wound. Oh right. Shizuo was wounded. Once Shizuo was certain that the informant wasn't nearby, he turned back to Mikado with a frown.

"S… sorry," Mikado said finally. "I didn't mean to kiss you." _Because I know you're together with Izaya-san._ "I'm… I'm just going to take you home. And nothing will happen. _Nothing_." _At least until Izaya-san officially breaks it off between you two. Then there'll be no problem._

He told himself that it wasn't hurt that he saw in Shizuo's eyes. He told himself that they didn't share the most mind-blowing kiss Mikado's ever experienced. He almost convinced himself on both accounts.

* * *

"Hey Shogun, you okay? You don't look so good."

"Yeah, almost like you saw a ghost or something."

Kida closed his eyes tightly and breathed in and out for a few more seconds. When he opened them again, he pasted a fake cheery grin and turned towards his underlings. "Don't be silly! I'm always bright-eyed and chipper!"

_Oh gods, I sound so stupid._ But his underlings nodded slowly, almost as if they _understood_. And Kida wanted to yell, to scream, to throw and thrash, because they didn't get it. Because no one _ever_ got it.

"Hey man, we're really grateful, you know? I mean… I don't know what made you change your mind about Shizuo, but we'd feel a lot safer with him gone, you know?"

_Yes. I know. But that's not why I agreed to kill him. That's not why I rope everyone into this. Would they still thank me if they knew?_ Kida nodded distractedly, the fake smile still on his face. He forced himself not to think about anything but Shizuo's imminent death. Shizuo was going to die and that was all that mattered. _Nothing_ happened. He didn't see anyone special.

They looked at one another, clearly uneasy. "Look," one said finally. "It's okay. One of us can pull the trigger. You're the Shogun, you just need to give orders and-"

_And use you like Izaya does. _Kida inwardly flinched at his inner voice. But the smile never wavered from his face. "It's fine." His words were firm, as a leader's should be. But then why was there a pang of uncertainty in his heart? "We'll get him tomorrow."

They all nodded with the same amount of respect that they've always harbored for him. It was stifling. He didn't want that kind of respect. He didn't want it, didn't need it. He wanted them to go away. Why were they gathered around him? Why did they find him so fascinating? It frightened him.

"By the way, Shogun, do you know who that kid was? You know, the one that jumped from the roof?"

"Oh man, that guy was crazy! Was he, like, dropped on the head or something?"

_No. no no no nononononono! Don't bring him up! Don't talk about him! Don't mention him!_ Kida's mind went on an overdrive, trying to stop the conversation from affecting him. _No. I don't have a past. I don't have a past. They can't know. No one can know!_

"It was strange though. Almost like he knew Shizuo or something, ya know?"

"Yeah, especially when he caught him. Dude, it was like… they were shooting an action movie!"

"Enough." His voice was firm, but had an edge of hysteria hidden in it. Kida cleared his throat and tried again. "Enough. We'll talk tomorrow. I'm tired."

They gave him a funny look but didn't question him. And as soon as they were gone, the panic from before returned full force. _Why is Mikado here? Why is he with Shizuo? Why? Does Izaya know?_ Fear shot through his system at the last question. _Oh gods. Did _Izaya know?

He needed to talk to someone. And he knew exactly who. With shaky fingers, he scrolled through his contacts list. _There_. Really, there was only one person he could call. He gulped and stared at the person's name. _Would she even pick up?_

_One way to find out._

He clicked call.

* * *

When Shizuo finally opened the door to his apartment, Mikado was greeted by the bleak emptiness of the living room. Not even a carpet covered the tiled floor. There was the balcony over there, and a hallway that probably led to the kitchen and the bathroom, but other than that, there was nothing. There weren't any clocks. There weren't any couches or futons or TVs or even computers. There was _nothing_.

"Uh… wow," Mikado said finally. He helped the ex-bartender sit, leaning against one of the barren, white wall of the living room. "So… first aid kit?"

Shizuo pointed vaguely towards the hallway, as if that explained everything. Figuring that the older man didn't want to talk, the teen sighed and went off in search of the first aid kit. As soon as he was gone, Shizuo pulled up his legs up towards his chest and hung his head between them.

Izaya. That stupid fleabag managed to ruin his life without being present. How did things end up like this? Sure he'd never liked the fleabag, but it hadn't been this bad before. Once or twice, there had been moments when he thought that the two could even be friends. That was, until the stupid flea opened his mouth and the only word that ran through the ex-bartender's mind would be, "Kill."

So really, there was only one type of relationship between the two of them. It was destroy the other before they get in the way. As he sat against his wall, waiting for Mikado to return, Shizuo couldn't help but to wonder why he hadn't gotten rid of the flea. It would make things so much better. Then the stupid Yellow Scarves wouldn't exist and Mikado…

What about the teen? Just what was his relationship with the kid to make him so worked up like this? And while he's on the topic of relationship, what did Izaya mean to Mikado? Why did the teen pull away from that mind-blowing kiss, only to stutter out that flea's name? Suddenly, realization flooded him. _Dear god_, he thought. He blinked slowly, trying to get his brain to work again. _It can't be…_ But then he remembered the guilty way the small teen had looked and-

_Mikado likes Izaya._

* * *

"I thought we agreed to never talk or meet again," was the greeting Kida received the minute someone picked up on the other line.

Kida couldn't help but to grin at the sound of her voice. "Don't hang up!" he said quickly. "Please. I need to see you."

There was the briefest pause on the other line. Then the softest sigh. "Alright. _That_ place. _That_ time."

"Thanks." Relief flooded Kida as he realized yes, this was happening. He was about to make a smart ass remark like he normally would when he was interrupted.

"And don't bother saying anything more. I honestly don't want to meet you or hear you again."

There was a lump in his throat, but he did his best to swallow around it. And instead of saying goodbyes, he just hung up the phone. He closed his eyes. _Why did it come to this?_ His mind reminded him of the happier times. Times before Ikebukuro. Times before all this stupid crap with Orihara Izaya.

And once again, the blue eyes from a long ago dream returned to him. _This is only fair._

"No it's not, Mikado. It's not fair at all."

* * *

Mikado frowned. _Did Shizuo really own nothing?_ The hallways were empty, the one bedroom only had a futon in it, and the bathroom… only contained the necessary toiletries for the day. In the cabinet to the side, Mikado found a small white box with a red cross on it. Inside it was bandages and a small bottle of disinfectant. And from the looks of it, it hadn't been used. At all.

_Maybe he's really poor and couldn't afford more?_ This thought worried the teen. If Shizuo was broke, then why was he wasting money to buy Mikado dinner and bentos? Now that he thought about it, when Shizuo gave Mikado the bento, the ex-bartender didn't have any semblance of what he might eat later. Could it be that Shizuo was using what little money he had on Mikado? But that made no sense! Weren't Izaya and Shizuo together?

_Then again, Izaya-san wanted to break things off. I wonder how shaky their relationship was from the beginning…_

And now that he stopped to think about it, did Izaya knew that the Yellow Scarves members would be there? Didn't Kodata say something about that? How Kida was a puppet? _Kida_… Mikado shook his head. _No. No way. It can't be Masaomi. Not after all that's happened…_

With a heavy sigh, he grabbed a towel and drenched it with hot water. When he was satisfied with everything that he had, he grabbed both the towel and the small first aid kit and returned to Shizuo. The ex-bartender was the picture of dejection. He was sitting, his legs pulled up close to his chest, where his arms wrapped around them. At the sound of Mikado's approach, his head shot up and a bloodied face stared back at the blue-eyed teen.

"Hei-Shizuo," he corrected. Then with a soft smile, he knelt beside the older man. Gently, he took the towel and rubbed it against the dried blood, watching in fascination as Shizuo leaned into the touch.

_But if Izaya-san did know that the Yellow Scarves members were there. And he made me call Shizuo… Then-_ Abruptly, he stopped moving his hands. _Did Izaya-san want to kill…?And did I help him…?_

Warm hands around his own snapped Mikado out of his thoughts. There, Shizuo was giving him a weird look. Except it wasn't really weird. It was… Mikado wasn't sure how to describe it. There was hurt, hope, faint anger, and… _love?_ He was probably just putting too much thought into this, and that kiss probably meant nothing, but damn! His heart was aching and he wanted that kiss to mean something.

"Mikado?"

He closed his eyes, leaning into the silky warm baritone. Gods, did Shizuo have to say his name like _that_? Like it's some sort of a forbidden fruit that he could never have. Like he's someone special.

Almost like Shizuo _liked_ him.

And well, it wasn't like Izaya _wanted_ Shizuo anymore, right? And who was going to know? They were together, alone in Shizuo's all-too-empty apartment and no one else was around. This was perfect, wasn't it?

"I like you," Mikado said finally. "I really, _really_ like you."

Any words Shizuo could have said was cut short by the teen's lips.

* * *

Izaya frowned, staring at the computer screen in interest. As the best informant in Ikebukuro, never mind the world, he had personally bugged Kida's phone. It wasn't anything creepy. It wasn't as if he was going to listen to the young teen on his private phone calls. No, the phone was bugged to do one simple thing. Report to Izaya whenever Kida called someone or received a call.

The informant tapped his chin. _Interesting. _Kida hadn't called _her_ in over a year. In fact, he hadn't even realized that the Yellow Scarves Leader knew her new phone number. This, of course, brought up a new question. Why did Kida Masaomi call _her_?

* * *

Mikado didn't return to Aidokusho that day. The shop owner debated whether this meant that the boy was finally quitting or if he was dead. Either way, the boy wouldn't return, right? And he would be safe from Heiwajima Shizuo's wrath and… _Just how the hell does that kid know _both _Heiwajima Shizuo _and_ Orihara Izaya? And how is he still alive?_

He rubbed his temples and glanced over at the ever-growing pile of mangas in the manga section of his store. _At this rate, that place is going to look like that forever._ Why was it that whenever Mikado decided to actually organize that place, he always got taken away by some frightening people? _Maybe he's a magnet for disaster. _

Outside his store, the dejected Yellow Scarves members walked by, discussing the latest mission in low tones.

"Look, I'm just saying. Kida's been really stressed out lately. We should do more as his trusted."

"I get it, man. But this is _Kida_. He never lets anyone do his job. We stir up trouble, he cleans up the mess. That's how it's always been."

"Well, I think that's crap. Why the hell does he have to pull the trigger? Remember when the Blue Squares ruled this joint? Izumi sat back and let them do everything."

"But he wasn't known as Izaya's puppet."

"That's what I'm saying! Aren't you getting sick and tired of those stupid Dollars whispering behind our backs about how Izaya's the true leader? Damn it! I didn't sign up to be a Yellow Scarves member to be Izaya's lackey! I came because Kida's a bad ass!"

The members paused and stared at one another, contemplating this.

"But what are we, like, going to do about it? Kida's going to be majorly pissed if we kill Shizuo for him."

"It's not like he _wants_ Shizuo dead, remember? He recently changed his mind. Why do you think so?"

Every one of them muttered the name, "Orihara Izaya."

"Exactly. That means this isn't Kida's shit. This is Izaya's shit."

"So like, what are we going to do?"

"I have an idea."

* * *

It felt like forever and an instant crushed into one. And he knew he wasn't making any sense, but he couldn't help it, not with Shizuo's mouth against his. It was soft and gentle - and just so _loving. _He didn't want it to end; just stay there forever, curled up next to Shizuo and-

A soft groan snapped Mikado out. _Oh crap. _How the hell did he forget about Shizuo's injury? Strings of apology streamed from his mouth as he reached over for the first aid kit, stumbling and bumbling with the band aids and cottons and-

"It's okay," Shizuo said softly. "I can do it."

_But I want to do it for you._ Mikado shook the thought away. Instead, he just looked down at his hands and whispered, "I'm sorry," again. Because he didn't know what to say. Because he really shouldn't have done that. Because he should have _waited_.

Shizuo's hand reached out for the cottons. He poured a small amount of disinfectant from the small bottle (Really, couldn't he afford anymore?) onto the cotton and used it to dab at some of the wounds. There was a tense silence between them and Mikado was desperate to make it go away. Or perhaps he just wanted to go away.

So with a heavy sigh, he whispered, "I should go."

Brown eyes looked at him carefully. Mikado flinched under the stare. _Please don't judge me. You're all I have. Please._

"Don't leave."

It sounded so simple! Just stay. Don't leave at all. Just curl up next to Shizuo and pretend the world doesn't exist. But it gave Mikado the answer that he needed to hear. Shizuo didn't hate him. Shizuo wasn't judging him. Shizuo wasn't going to drop him, leave him behind like Kida and Anri. Shizuo wanted him to not leave.

Mikado smiled. "I'll come back."

Shizuo shook his head. "Don't leave," he repeated. _Don't go back to Izaya. If you like me, then stay by me._

"Shizuo," Mikado said finally, the soft smile still on his face. "I left in the middle of work. I _have_ to go back." _And I'll earn enough so that you can get proper things. So you don't have to live in such an empty place. _"Besides, Selty-san and Shinra-san are coming home soon. I really have to start cleaning."

After what seemed like forever, Shizuo finally nodded slowly. "Fine."

"Oh and tomorrow-"

"I'll come pick you up. Don't go anywhere. Let's go somewhere. Just the two of us."

"I'd like that."

* * *

If there was anything that Mikado prided himself in, it was his ability to remember numbers. This was how he remembered Izaya's phone number, despite having used it only once. And this was exactly how, even though he should be heading towards work (not that the store would be open by then), he was calling Izaya on a pay phone.

"Hello?" Izaya answered easily on the other side. He sounded rather bored. "If you're calling to ask me who the teen that jumped off of the building was, you better be prepared to pay me first."

"Izaya-san," Mikado said, "it's me."

There was the smallest pause until finally Izaya spoke. "Well. That was unexpected. But you've never really been very predictable, have you, Mikado-kun?"

The said teen shivered at the tone. Shaking his head, he brought the conversation to what he had called about. "Were you trying to kill Shizuo?"

"Are you trying to get free information from me?" Izaya answered smoothly, as if he didn't notice the lack of formality on Mikado's part regarding Shizuo.

Mikado sighed softly. "Answer for an answer."

"Deal. And no, I'm not _trying_ to kill Shizuo. I will kill him."

Mikado closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Izaya-san," he said, opening his eyes. "What makes you think you can get away with… with _murder_?"

A faint giggle rose from the other end of the phone and Mikado couldn't help but to wonder if he (or perhaps Izaya) was going insane. "Isn't it my turn to ask?"

Before Mikado could respond, Izaya moved on.

"Explain to me why you felt the need to jump off of a building. And don't bother saying something about saving Shizu-chan. We both know that's a lie." That actually wasn't true, but seeing that Izaya had a hard time predicting Mikado, he just didn't want to take any chance.

Mikado hesitated. He frowned, biting lightly on his lips. Could he tell Izaya the truth? But if he didn't, then this game wouldn't mean anything. He sighed. _Well, what's the worst that can happen?_

"It would get their attention."

The admission was soft, but it told everything that Izaya needed to hear. There. Just as Nami had said. All he had to do was use a different code. He was slowly beginning to understand. But Izaya needed the whole truth unveiled. He wanted the brat to come apart in his hands. And for that, he would use anything, do everything.

"Which would get Kida's attention, because then the curious underlings would report to him," Izaya concluded, fighting the urge to laugh. _Assuming that Kida wasn't there and saw you himself. _ "Then what? What did you think that he would do?"

Mikado flushed red. But he forced himself to calm down. "I believe it's my turn, Izaya-san."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Want me to answer the question about the murder?"

"No. Instead, please explain to me why you would want to kill Shizuo."

"I think you got the question wrong," Izaya answered. Without seeing it, Mikado could see the Cheshire grin on the informant's face. "Why wouldn't you want to kill him? He's an annoyance. Always ruining my plans for his personal amusement."

"An unpredictable variable."

"Exactly. Now that you have Shizuo by your side, what's your plan?"

"I'm not sure I follow," Mikado answered with a frown. "Plan? I didn't realize I needed one."

"With that lug, you need one. Especially now that the Yellow Scarves will be targeting him."

_But that's only because of your order, isn't it?_ "I have no plans, Izaya-san. I'm just going to go forth. If things happen, they happen. You don't have to plan everything out, you know."

_But that's not how you do things, do you?_ Izaya thought to himself. _You're a lot more like me than I realized_. _That's just fine. I'll have fun using my new code to figure you out._

"Last question, Izaya-san."

The informant pushed back the disappointment at those words. He shook his head. It wasn't like he thought this kind of talk was fun. He just wanted more information. Was that too much to ask for?

"Did you ever love Shizuo?"

"No. Never."

"I see. Your question?"

There was a long pause on the other end. Izaya mauled over everything that he's heard so far. And after a careful consideration, he picked his words carefully. "What did Kida-kun do to garner your attention?" What he really wanted to ask was, "What did _Shizuo_ do to have your undivided attention?" But this question was held back. Shizuo, as Mikado had described, was an unpredictable variable. But Kida was a constant. He was the key to solving the brat.

The vulnerable little teen who had been telling Izaya the needed information stopped. Without looking, Izaya could imagine the brat's cool eyes, almost calculating. _That predatory glaze again_. Excitement raced through his veins.

"I find it interesting that you don't know," Mikado said. And that was all. No disappointment, no fanfares. Nothing but just a statement. But it chilled Izaya to the bone, and his heart ached with want.

* * *

"Wait, so that's, like, your _great_ idea?" one of the Yellow Scarves member demanded once he's heard the plan. "Isn't that like… stupid? Why would we attack the Dollars for?"

"Think about it! Izaya's the type of guy who wants to control everything. And Dollars is shrouded in nothing but mystery. Despite that, everyone knows that Izaya's the creator. However, he allowed Shizuo to join that group. The same Shizuo that he ordered Shogun to kill. Know what this means?"

"What?"

The guy groaned in frustration. "It means that Izaya wants Shizuo dead because he can't control him anymore! See, Izaya controls everything. We all ready knew that. He got rid of the Blue Squares because he couldn't control them. And to control the Yellow Scarves, he created the Dollars to create conflict. But this works only for as long as every one of the pieces agrees to fight one another. If Shizuo refuses, then Izaya has no choice but to get rid of him."

"But why would Shizuo, you know, refuse to follow Izaya?"

"Remember that kid that jumped off the roof? He's the key. He's the reason why Shizuo suddenly defected."

"And that's why we're going to attack random Dollars members?"

"Yes! It would be unpredictable because instead of just getting rid of Shizuo, we would be getting rid of _all _the Dollars member! And then Izaya would be forced to think again-"

"Because he's support system, like, broke down!"

"Exactly!"

The members looked at each other excitedly. But then one paused. "Wait, this is all great and all, but aren't we, you know, forgetting something?"

"What?"

"Dollars is an internet group, you know. How're we going to know who's part of Dollars or not?"

The Yellow Scarves members all frowned, deflating. They hadn't thought about that at all! How were they going to fight off the invisible enemy?

"Got it! We can, like, call a meeting!"

"What?"

"We'll post online for all the Dollars members to come and meet one another! And everyone that shows up, we can, like, beat the crap out of!"

With the plan made up, the members ran off to begin the preparations. After all, there was going to be a grand party, and there were going to be a lot of guests.

* * *

The old warehouse still stood. No one had bothered to try and fix it, especially not since last year's violence. Kida took a deep breath and entered. The smell of rotting wood greeted his nose. But the smell of fire and smoke filled his mind. Despite the fact that this place should be abandoned, there were still small crates and barrels all around. Thing, worn-down ropes hung from the ceiling. He made a mental note to not stand under them, in case the rope snapped and came crashing on his head. _You know, after our fight, I was certain that this place wouldn't be able to stand anymore. _He shook his head. _Stop remembering. __I can't have a past._

"Hey, you here?" he called into the warehouse.

He heard the sound of scurrying feet, and momentarily scowled at the thought of rats. _No. Focus. We have a bigger problem._

"Over here, Kida-kun," answered a soft voice.

Ah, she hadn't changed at all. Despite the coldness over the phone, she was back to the meek girl, now that they were about to meet. Or would the term be "re-meet?"

"I don't want to be here any longer than necessary," she told him once he could see her. "Get to the point." She was sitting on top of a jacket that she had spread over some rubble. She was watching him carefully, her chin tilted down slightly so that her glasses sat lowly on the bridge of her nose. He was still a good twelve feet away from her, but he could still feel her presence as if they were face-to-face. She hadn't changed a bit since they last met, Kida noted. Her hair was still short, still straight. Her posture was still rigid, clinging to the politeness that he had been certain that he driven out of her. And, of course, her signature that everyone in Ikebukuro had respected: her huge knockers.

He smiled grimly. "Our past has finally found us, Anri-chan."


	13. Of Getting Lost and Repressed Feelings

Sorry for taking so long with this. I'm finally at my college and pretty much settled in. (To be truthful, I should be studying for a test tomorrow... oh well!)

I don't own.

Warning: language, uncreative username, mention of character death

Recap: As the romance between Shizuo and Mikado develops, Yellow Scarves members put everything together to bring down Izaya by destroying Dollars.

* * *

Mikado sighed heavily as he placed the receiver back on the payphone. Speaking to the informant should not be this hard, but it was. Every time, Izaya always seemed to bring the conversation around to subjects that Mikado didn't like. It was unnerving. _No wonder he's the best informant. _

He walked out of the booth and looked around. The sky had darkened to a dark blue by the time that he had finished with his call, and he figured that it was too late to go to work now. All he could do really was to hurry back to Selty's apartment to clean. But seeing that he had never walked around Ikebukuro without a guide…

He was lost.

A low groan escaped his lips. _Crap. I should have asked Shizuo for directions! _He paused for a bit. _Shizuo._ He was now calling the amazing man who's been his guide by his real name. _It's like a dream. Or a manga._

"Hey! Watch out!" a girl's voice exclaimed as her body slammed into Mikado's. They both ended up sprawled on the ground, the girl on top. "Ow! I told you to watch out!" she yelled as she pulled herself up.

Huffing, she glanced at him with annoyance. Through the pain filled haze, Mikado noted that she wore a white hat, but streaks of auburn hair peeked out from under it. She was wearing a white button-down blouse with a short pink skirt. A white scarf was wrapped loosely around her neck, revealing small markings (_Scars?)_. She held a small purse on her left shoulder that looked dangerously like it would spill its inside contents. "Now I'm going to be _late_ for my date with my love!" Shaking her head viciously, she muttered dangerous-sounding words as she began to run off.

"Ow," Mikado mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. That was when he noticed a small black bag next to him. He frowned. Did that girl drop it? _I should return it._ _And maybe she can point the way to Selty's place._

With those thoughts in mind, he picked up the bag and began to run after the girl. "Hey!" he called out after the girl. "Wait up!"

He followed the strip of white scarf, running after the girl through the twisting passageways of the alleys. "Hey!" he called again. "You dropped your bag!"

"Hey!" Mikado reached out and grabbed the white scarf. He hadn't meant to yank on it, but with the momentum of the girl's movement and him trying to slow down… well, she let out a loud squeal and turned to glare at him. The loose scarf came free and Mikado couldn't tear his eyes away from the scars on her neck.

"What is your problem?" she screamed. "I'm _late_!"

"I'm really sorry," Mikado said as he finally tore his eyes away from the scar. He held up the bag. "But you dropped this."

"Oh! My-" she stopped and looked at Mikado carefully. "My _kit_. I guess I _have_ to thank you for that." She took the bag from his hands. "Well, what do you want? Money? Just know that I'm not going to kiss you or anything because I'm meeting with my _love."_

"Oh no. Nothing like that," Mikado exclaimed, waving his hands out in front of him. "I… I was wondering if you can point me-"

"What are you doing?" the hostility in the male's voice caused Mikado to flinch before he looked over at the hard eyes of a well-built young man. His brown hair was spiked in an almost gangster-like-manner, but he was wearing a blue tux, which caused Mikado to be confused. Was he trying to be a punk or a businessman? But what froze all thought process was the bright yellow scarf around the man's neck. _Yellow Scarves?_

"Seiji!" The girl exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms. His eyes softened as they gazed with adoration at her. Then he turned back to Mikado, his chest puffed out, his eyes glaring.

"_Well_?" The man- Seiji, Mikado's mind supplied unnecessarily - growled.

"I swear I wasn't doing anything," Mikado protested, holding his hands in front of him again.

"You're so cool when you're defending me," the girl gushed, rubbing her cheek against his chest. She didn't look like she would help him. In fact, she seemed to be encouraging Seiji's misunderstanding… with relish.

_I'm screwed, aren't I?_ Mikado forced himself to smile. "The thing is," he said, "I'm a little lost. Can you please help me?"

If the look Seiji was giving him was any indication, he didn't believe him. And to make things worse, Mikado was still holding the girl's scarf. He held it up to the other man as a peace offering. "No really," the blue-eyed teen tried again, "Can you please point me in the right direction?"

The scowl on the man's face deepened, but he nonetheless took the scarf back. Mikado gulped. _Don't tell me he's going to call his Yellow Scarves buddies and-_

"Mika-chi! Is that you?"

He had never been so glad to hear Erika's voice. "Erika-nee!" he called out. And just like that, the female otaku appeared by his side, a small frown on her face.

"What are you hanging out with Seiji and Mika for?" She asked, her voice tight.

"I'm lost," Mikado repeated. "And I was hoping they could point the way to the apartment."

Hearing that, Erika noticeably relaxed. Mikado put this as one of the things to ask the otaku when they were alone. Instead, Erika took Mikado's hand and began to pull him away. "Hope your date goes well!" she shouted at them.

"Okay, important lesson," Erika told Mikado as they walked down the streets. "If they have any sort of yellow clothing, run. If a guy wearing yellow clothing has an annoying girl, then run _really_ fast. He's Seiji. His older sister works for Izaya."

Mikado understood the unspoken warning easily enough. Erika didn't trust Izaya. That much was obvious. In fact, although she might joke about Izaya's love life, she was, just like everyone else, terrified of what the informant could do. So if it meant that it'd appease her, Mikado nodded and tried to push the encounter out of his mind.

"So what are you doing out here so late?" he asked after five minutes of walking in silence.

"Hm? Oh. There's going to be a small meeting, you see," Erika explained with a small giggle. "I'm going off to meet with the others soon."

"Others…?"

"Dollars members! There's going to be an offline Dollars meeting tonight!"

Mikado frowned._ A meeting..?But-_

"It's going to be the first offline Dollars meeting ever!" she then went on about the Dollars, giving Mikado the same explanation of Dollars that Kadota had.

"Isn't this dangerous?" the teen asked finally when Erika stopped for a quick breath.

"Don't be silly, Mika-chi! What can possibly happen? Don't worry. I'll take you home first if it makes you that worried. But I'm sure nothing will happen. After all, Simon and the rest would be there!"

Although those words did nothing to quell his growing worry, he just smiled softly and allowed her to take him home.

* * *

"Are you going to do it then?"

He had expected the question. He had come to the meeting expecting it. But once the question was out in the air, he found that his voice had left him and that he couldn't focus at all. He took a deep breath, trying to start again but his tongue felt thick and once again, nothing left his mouth.

Anri was watching him with her usual careful consideration. It was startling, really. Even after the long time gap, she practically hadn't changed at all. _Then again, have I really changed?_

"Are you going to kill Heiwajima Shizuo?" She must've thought that he didn't understand. But he did. He knew what she was asking about. How could he not, after he called her here?

He nodded slowly, trying to force words out of his chest. He knew he didn't have to explain himself to her, but he needed someone to know. Someone who knew the past. _Oh gods, the past. _He forced himself to calm down. This was just Anri in front of him. He just had to explain himself.

"It's the least I can do."

There. He said it. He said the reason why he accepted the damned job in the first place. He finally _said_ something.

Something flashed in Anri's eyes but it was gone in that same flash. Kida would like to believe that it was something akin to worry. But who was he kidding, really? It had been pity.

"That wasn't your fault."

He shook his head. He had heard that before. Heard it so much that it began to ache and the words began to follow him around like a ghost. He didn't want to hear it again. Not after all that's happened and all that he had done. So he faked his smile. Because it was really the only thing he knew how to do well.

"Of course," he said smoothly. "And about this plan-"

"Don't change the subject. It wasn't your fault. You did what you thought was right. It just had some… unintended consequences."

A dry laugh left his mouth. "Unintended consequences?" he asked, his shoulder shaking with laughter. "That's one fuck of an unintended consequence!"

She didn't even flinch. She just gazed back at him with her calm. It made him want to hate himself, but it didn't stop the laughter. He sounded hysteric. Almost desperate. Gods, why was he the only one upset about the whole thing? Why was he the only one suffering?

"She _died_, Anri. She died. And you want me to just accept this like some sort of…" he growled in annoyance. He forced himself to take deep breaths. He wasn't going to snap. Especially not in front of Anri. "Sorry," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry."

Anri's stare never changed. Just calm, never accusing. If it bothered him before, it comforted him now. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

* * *

Mikado thanked Erika before she left for the Dollars now that he was finally in the safety of Selty's apartment, he allowed himself to relax. That was, of course, until he realized that he still hadn't cleaned anything and that Selty and Shinra might return _any minute now_. He sighed heavily.

_Maybe I'll just turn on some sound to help me work._ With that thought, he clicked the TV on to a random channel and began to clean. He wasn't sure how many hours passed from when he first came back. He was just cleaning. One room at a time, making sure to get every corner, dusting and wiping. It was long and boring; the noise of the TV filled the room in such an empty way that Mikado couldn't help but to yearn for human companionship.

"This just in! There was a gang fight in the middle of the streets of Ikebukuro tonight. Witnesses claim it's the infamous Yellow Scarves, who came out of nowhere and began the attack. The crowd answered and a massive fight broke out…"

Mikado paused from his dusting at that. He frowned. _A fight…? _

_There's going to be an offline Dollars meeting tonight!_

The teen paled. _No way! It can't be!_ His attention focused on the news as the pictures of the supposed fight flashed on screen. Apparently there had been enough people around to take pictures and videos, but not enough to try and stop the fight. There, as the news anchor had said, were Yellow Scarves members. And there… was that Simon?

_Didn't Erika-nee say something about how nothing can happen as long as Simon was there?_

Without hesitation, he ran towards Selty's computer and turned it on. He tapped his fingers impatiently as the computer booted. Luckily for him, the computer wasn't password protected. He turned on the internet and began to surf. On the news sites, he was able to find out more about the fight. Apparently, the group of Yellow Scarves just randomly began to attack people in the streets, without being provoked.

The strangeness of the attack didn't go unnoticed. And as he looked through the news sites, an uneasy feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. _Don't tell me Izaya-san…_ He didn't want to believe it. Not really. It was a terrible thought. But then again, Izaya had never been a "safe" person. At least not according to everyone that Mikado had met.

_He also did try to kill Shizuo, too…_

And then, of course, was the unforgettable fact that the Dollars Meeting had been arranged without his approval or knowledge. For the briefest moment, he hesitated before typing out the website's url. The webpage flashed before him all its glory. _Who organized this meeting today? And for what reason?_ Figuring that he needed the answers to these questions more than he needed to clean, he took a deep breath and typed out his user id.

And for the first time since his move to Ikebukuro, Ryuugamine Mikado logged in as the admin of Dollars.

* * *

A soft ringtone broke their conversation. Frowning, Kida looked at the ID. "Number One," it read. He snorted softly._ Stupid underlings and their stupid naming policies_. He motioned to Anri that this might take a minute and clicked talk.

"Hello?"

"Shogun, we have a bit of a problem."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh… there was a bit of an… _incident_. And few of us are in the hospital."

Kida's breathing stilled. Anri gave him a curious glance, but she didn't ask anything. Instead, she watched as Kida rubbed his temples and growled, "What the hell did you do?"

"Uh-"

A faint, "Don't tell him!" was heard from the background and the "Number One" yelled back, "I know!" Kida gently tapped his forehead with his fist.

"We were just fooling around and then it escalated," he answered finally. "How were we supposed to know that Simon would be there?"

The last part was mumbled, but Kida still heard it. _You've got to be-_ "You challenged _Simon_?"

"Well no. Not directly. Except… oh okay. Yeah, we did. But it was for a good cause!"

"Shut up. I'm going to come yell at you in person. Which hospital are you at?"

* * *

Mikado massaged his head as he stared at the long list of posts. Due to his absence, trolls and flamers alike had ran through most of the forum. _Curse them all for their stupidity!_ He forced himself to find the posts that mattered, but with thousands of unread posts blinking for his attention, he wasn't sure where to begin.

_Well, the most recent one should have something-_

It took him exactly two hours and forty-nine minutes to locate the original post about the Dollars First Offline Meeting. And this was after looking through most of the unread posts, although there were still more left for him to go through. But the important thing was that he had the original post located. Now he knew who it was that posted here. Now he knew that it was-

_Crap. This is someone's username. It's not actually them._

Groaning loudly, he dropped his head in his open palms. _I just wasted a good chunk of my time looking for something that won't even aid me. Now what?_ He looked at the username. YfolS. _What kind of username is that?_

Giving up with the pointless endeavor, Mikado switched the computer off. _I'll find more out through Izaya-san. It's easier that way._ With that thought in mind, he happily curled up in his futon and fell asleep.

* * *

"Dammit! What the hell were you thinking? You challenged _Simon?_!"

Kida's voice rang in the hospital room. But none of the doctors or the nurses dared to come near any of the Yellow Scarves members. They loitered instead near the entrance, flinching at the loud noise. The members who had carried out the "Attack-Dollars-Member-Plan" were all inside the room, tending to their various injuries. Kida stood in the middle of them, turning slowly and eyeing each with disapproval. Anri stood against the door frame near the doctors, keeping to her silence and solitude as usual.

"Why would you do something so _stupid?_ Do you want to _die_?"

They all flinched, not because Kida was upset at them, but because of what that last question entailed. Death. They've all heard of the horror stories of how Kida had gotten into the power that he had now, and how those things have twisted the young man in front of them to who he is now. After all, a gang like the Blue Squares didn't just disappear quietly, and a small teen like Kida didn't just destroy Izumi so effectively. No one really knew what went down, but everyone had their theories.

"Just please tell me this wasn't part of Izaya's plan."

The noise level in the room sky-rocketed at the statement. Each one of the Yellow Scarves member had something nasty to say about Izaya, and none of them bothered censoring it. The only problem was that due to the amount of noise, Kida couldn't understand a single word they were saying. Finally, one of the members put up his hand for attention. When everyone was relatively quiet, he turned to Kida.

"Kida-san. I know you're suffering, but please don't forget: you are our shogun! You protect all of us and we have your back, no matter what. We follow you because we like how strong you are, how mysterious and powerful. We like being by your side, because you're our shogun and because you're Kida Masaomi. But dammit, everyone keeps saying stupid things about how we follow Izaya, and that's not true at all! We're _your_ Yellow Scarves! NOT Izaya's! I don't give a rat's ass about that jerkface or his plans! If he wants puppets, he can use the Dollars! We won't be a part of this!"

By the end of the rant, the member was breathing hard. He looked at Kida for approval, but only saw a rigid hard line on his shogun's face. Doubt whispered in his mind, but he wasn't going to take back his words. Not when he had meant every word. Not when he knew Kida needed to hear them.

"How many of you are against following Izaya?" Kida asked softly.

Agreement was shouted from all over the room. Once the cacophony of shouts was quieted, Kida continued.

"Then I suggest leaving the Yellow Scarves."

With no further explanation, Kida left, Anri trailing not too far behind him.

* * *

There was no knocks that morning. Nothing that disturbed his slumber and jerked him awake. It was so unlike the usual way that he awoke, that Mikado couldn't help but to wonder what had happened. He slowly got up and continued through his morning routine, keeping one ear open for the knock. However, the knock did not come. _Maybe Shizuo changed his mind?_ He peeked outside, hoping to see the familiar bartender outfit.

No one.

His shoulders slumped. _I guess I can try to get to Aidokusho by myself. But… I was sort of hoping…_ Sighing softly, he wondered if Shizuo would still show up after work as promised.

* * *

It was by complete accident that the two spotted the ex-bartender. They were walking together, trying to come up with a plausible plan to not only bring Izaya down, but also to make sure to keep their past hidden by keeping Mikado safe. The talk was quickly waylaid when Anri pointed at the yellow-haired man, who hadn't noticed them.

If Anri had noticed him just a few seconds later, they might have missed the scene. If she had pointed a few seconds earlier, they would've definitely missed the scene. However, she pointed just as a familiar figure walked out of the apartment complex and into full view of everyone there.

"Mikado," Kida whispered softly, his voice breaking.

Anri nodded, her eyes moistening slightly. But the cold mask was back on again and she turned to face Kida. "You were right," she said softly.

They both watched as Shizuo made a small move as if to go to him, but then stopped and pulled himself back into the shadows. They watched as Mikado looked around, looking a little confused, before he took an uncertain step forward into the streets of Ikebukuro.

"He hasn't changed much, has he?" Anri said, wonder creeping into her voice.

Kida nodded, a ghost of a smile tugging on his lips. "Let's follow him."

* * *

The owner of the shop looked at Mikado half in shock and half in disbelief. "Oh," the man said finally. His mind, however, was going on an overdrive about all the things that he didn't dare say to the kid in front of him.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday," Mikado said. "But one thing happened and then it led to another and-"

"Stop," the owner held up his hand, his face was becoming slowly red as he rubbed his eyes with the other hand. "I don't want to know. Just… get to work."

Mikado beamed at that.

* * *

"So he works here…" Anri's voice had a strange tone. It had been there ever since she spotted Mikado, and to be truthful, Kida suspected that his voice also had a strange tone in it as well. This was bad. How were they supposed to keep their past a secret if they reacted like this to Mikado?

The two had discussed, under their breaths, a plan that they might be able to use. And now that they were both standing there, near the shop that Mikado seemed to be working at, a sense of doubt filled them. Could they really pull this off? Their plan was perfect, they knew. There was no way it would fail.

Shizuo, once he was certain that Mikado was safely in the shop, turned and left, probably for his own work as well. Anri nudged Kida.

"Go," she said.

Kida nodded. _I know. But I don't want to move. I don't want to go through with this plan. Because this is going to change everything again. _Despite his misgivings, he began to make his way over to Shizuo. One glance back informed him that Anri was heading towards the shop, just as planned. He took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing._

He dialed the number on his cell. "Gather the others. We're going hunting."

* * *

The wind chimes rang inside the bookshop. The shop owner looked up and greeted her with a smile. "Welcome," he said.

She nodded, a faint trace of a smile on her lips. But her gaze didn't linger on the man for long. It traveled around the store, around the bookshelves and display until it finally landed on a familiar figure, who had his back turned to her. Her breathing stilled, her heart began to race. There. With absolute no care for the world, one Ryuugamine Mikado was sitting by the manga section, trying to put the books in some semblance of order.

"Mikado," she whispered softly.

He couldn't have heard her. Her voice had been soft, too soft for anyone to have heard. But despite that, it was at that moment that Mikado raised his head and their gazes met.

His hands froze by one manga book, his eyes were wide as he stared at her with so many emotions. Anri did her best to name them. Surprise, awe, disbelief, happiness, hurt, and most of all, betrayal. She couldn't help but to feel bitter about that. This was once her best friend and now he was looking at her with betrayal and hurt. How could she have done that?

_How could I have not betrayed you?_

Anri smiled softly, but she doubted that it ever reached her sorrow-filled eyes. "Hey there," she said.

Mikado gulped loudly. Then he blinked and suddenly, he was moving. He moved towards her, dropping the manga along the way. She stood still as he came close, much closer than what she would have liked, but not close enough. _Never close enough_.

Then in a hoarse voice, he finally spoke.

"Why?"


	14. Of Spoken Truths and Gun Shots

Wow. First update in a really long time and it's on the first day of the year, too. Sorry about the really long wait, but happy New Years!

With that out of the way…. I'm in no way shape or form trying to encourage people to hate any of the characters. In fact, I love most of the characters featured in the story. So please don't hate Kida and Anri too much! They have their reasons; even if that reason is kind of stupid (Blame me, not them!).

I don't own.

Warning: language and violence

Recap: Anri and Kida's plan to get back at Izaya is in full-swing, and Mikado and Shizuo are caught in the middle of it.

* * *

There was a tense pause between them as Anri and Mikado sat across from one another at a nearby café. The Aidokusho shop owner, after seeing the initial interaction between the two, had just thrown his hands up in the air, and pointed in the direction of the café and said, "Just go."

Thus, the two sat, two steaming drinks in front of them, without saying a single word. Certainly, there were many stories, questions, and apologies that needed to be said. That they wanted to say to one another. But not a single word left their mouths. Instead, they stared at one another, not sipping their drinks nor speaking.

For another five minutes, they just observed one another. It was Anri who broke the code of silence.

"I didn't think I would see you again," she admitted.

"I didn't think so either," Mikado agreed. He paused, his eyes hooded with emotions Anri was sure she herself was feeling. "Did you _want_ to see me again?"

Anri looked down at her lap, and Mikado could only guess as to what she was feeling. He hoped that she felt bad about leaving him but then chastised himself for such a childish thought.

"We didn't want to involve you."

_Of course not. Because you and Masaomi are together, so why would you want a third wheel?_ Mikado closed his eyes. "Why?" he asked, repeating his word from the shop. _Why did you two leave? Why did you keep everything a secret? Why did you abandon me?_

"We didn't want to hurt you."

_But you left me! How could you think that that wouldn't hurt me?_ "Did you really think that I would judge you?" _Did you really think I would turn my back on you two getting together?_

When she finally looked up, Mikado noticed the redness around the rim of her eyes. "That was the problem," she said, her voice full of guilt and certainty. "You would've never judged us, Mikado. You would've welcomed us with open arms, no matter what kind of sin we committed. That's the kind of person you are."

_You don't know what kind of person I am, Anri_. _I doubt I would've welcomed the two of you. I doubt I can do that even now_. "What do you mean… 'sin?'"

Anri's lips stretched into a meaningless smile. "How much would you like to know?"

* * *

"Heiwajima-san!" Kida called. His left hand fingered the gun in his sweater pocket. The metal had long warmed to his touch, and that made it feel less real. As if it wasn't a dangerous weapon.

The ex-bartender turned to face him. Kida watched in amusement as the older man's face changed from confusion to recognition to anger within seconds. _I didn't realize he knew me by my face. This might make things a little harder._

"What does a Yellow Scarves member want with me?" Shizuo demanded.

_Ah. So he just recognized the scarf. Well that makes this a whole lot easier._ Kida faked a bright smile on his face. "Ah, I just wanted to tell you what an amazing guy you are!"

Shizuo tensed, clearly sensing the fake cheeriness. A quick glance around informed him that there were more than enough things around him that he could use as weapons. _But we're close to Mikado's work place. I don't want him to see me violent again. _

"So amazing, in fact, that I want your help to bring Izaya down."

All thoughts of fighting flew from Shizuo's head when he heard those words. He lowered his face until the sunglass slid down his nose so his brown eyes were visible. "Keep talking."

* * *

"Do you remember Nasujima-sensei?" Anri asked. She wasn't looking at Mikado anymore. Instead, she picked up the cold drink and took a sip.

Mikado nodded slowly. "Yeah. We had homeroom together with him."

"He's dead." She glanced at his eyes, curious to the reaction that he'll give.

Mikado nodded again, calm and slightly confused as to why Anri was talking about this. "I know. They found his body in the shack."

Anri nodded with him, as if trying to gauge the situation. Her eyes whirled with emotions before she closed it and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and stared straight into Mikado's confused ones.

"I killed him."

* * *

The other members of the Yellow Scarves were near enough. Kida recognized them even without their yellow-clothing to distinguish them. He wasn't sure if that's what bothered him or if it was the fact that most of the members here were the ones from the hospital. _Why do they keep coming back?_

"By now, you're probably aware of the plot to kill you."

One eyebrow twitched. Kida raised his arms up in front of him. "Now, now. I'm just the messenger. You shouldn't hurt me because I told you Izaya's plan."

Shizuo looked at Kida carefully. "That fleabag wants me dead?"

_Yes. He sent me to kill you. Don't trust me, Heiwajima-san. Don't trust me!_

Kida grinned. "Of course! The question is… why now? What is it that you did that caused Izaya's sudden wrath?"

The ex-bartender seemed to seriously consider this question. Then realization flashed in his eyes and Shizuo flushed red. Kida blinked, not really understanding what he was seeing. _Is the great Heiwajima… blushing…? Why…?_

"It has nothing to do with you! Anyways, get to the point! How are we going to destroy that fleabag?"

_Suspicious… _"Well, I can't exactly help you until you tell me that piece of information," Kida bargained. _He's hiding something important._

Shizuo's face turned a darker shade of red. "It's _none_ of your business," he snapped.

Kida shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll just walk away and-"

"Fine!"

The two fake blondes stared at each other before Shizuo sighed. "It's because Mikado loves that fleabag."

The shogun of the Yellow Scarves froze. _What…? Mikado…? _"You... Don't fuck with me! Mikado would never fall for that stupid informant!"

Shizuo looked blankly at Kida. "You know-?"

"There's no way! He's… Hell, he always loved Anri, didn't he? They were supposed to be together. And then…" The sudden pause in his rent caused Shizuo to tense up. Kida's eyes shone dangerously as he turned back to Shizuo, gripping the gun in his sweater. "Tell me, Heiwajima-san, how did Mikado meet Izaya?"

The bartender gritted his teeth and looked away. Anger and frustration clearly etched in his stance. "Because-"

"Because you were around him," Kida continued relentlessly, ignoring that Shizuo had something to say. "Because you kept buzzing around Mikado like some stupid fly. Of course that's going to attract Izaya's attention! Do you ever think of anyone but yourself? Of course, Izaya's going to go after Mikado! This, every single thing… This is all your fault!"

"No, you're-" Shizuo started, turning back to face Kida. The rest of his sentence died on his mouth by a strange sight.

_Is that a…?_

Kida had pulled out the gun from his sweater pocket. Taking careful aim, he held the gun tightly in his hands. _Hey Mikado… _

"Well… _This is only fair_." _Is this what you wanted?_

And a gunshot reverberated in the streets.

* * *

"Wait, Anri! What do you mean by-?"

She held up her hand as if to silence him. Mikado, although tense, gave her the chance to explain herself.

"He… was harassing me." Anri showed no emotion other than the initial hesitation. Wasn't the normal reaction to something like that shame or embarrassment? But Anri showed no such thing. In fact, it sounded to Mikado as if she was unsure if he would judge her, as if that was her biggest concern currently.

"Kida found out. He tried to make things okay. But in the end… Nasujima-sensei cornered me in a storage shed. And… I killed him."

Mikado's mouth felt dry. Just how was anyone supposed to respond to an admission like that? He tried to gather himself, trying to form the correct words, something, anything! But he just ended up staring at Anri, no sound leaving his mouth.

She looked at him with a ghost of a smile. "Kida helped me hide the body. We then made plans."

And suddenly, everything snapped into a grotesque picture. The reason why the two had been so distant. The reason for the anxious silence, the suffocating tension. The reason for the abandonment, the betrayal… Everything led back to the Hellish Graduation that Mikado had so lightly tossed aside. _If I had known…_

"Don't look so sad, Mikado," Anri said softly. "We left because we didn't want to see that expression on your face. But… in the end, we just hurt you more."

"You…" _You suffered more than anything that I went through. You guys were trying to cope with murder, while I sat in my room, moping around. What have I been doing all this time? While you guys were trying to fend for yourselves, while you were shouldering the guilt by yourself, I…_

"I'm very sorry," she continued. "No, we are sorry. For what we've done. For what we must continue to do."

"Continue?"

* * *

"Shogun! You did it!"

Kida couldn't reply. All he could do was stare at his hands. Did he really just pull the trigger? Did he just destroy the one chance, the one hope who could potentially stop Izaya? All because of what, exactly? Why did he decide to go along with Izaya's plan anyways? What was he thinking? Besides, it was plainly obvious that it was a lie when Shizuo stated that Mikado loved the informant. That couldn't be true at all! After all, Mikado was in love with Anri.

_Unless our betrayal turned him away from the opposite sex...?  
_

A groan snapped his attention back to the lump of Shizuo. Despite the free-flowing blood from his chest, the ex-bartender looked up, a deep scowl engraved on his face. His sunglasses slid from his face and fell, landing on a puddle of the red liquid. "Damn it..." he hissed.

"He's still alive? Shoot him again, Shogun!"

But before Kida could raise the gun, Shizuo stood up. He took a tentative step forward, a strange glint in his eyes never fading. Kida froze. _Shoot him again?_

"What the hell is 'only fair?' It's not like I asked that stupid fleabag to get attached! If I had a choice, I would bury him under a mountain of coal and set it on fire! If I could only make it so that Mikado never makes that kind of face again!" A flash of Mikado's guilt-stricken face flashed in Shizuo's mind. _If I hadn't kissed him-_

"Shogun!"

Kida snapped out of his stupor and quickly brought the gun up. He took aim so that Shizuo wouldn't be able to stand up this time. _I wonder if the bullet will get stuck in his brain or go straight through. _Then he paused. _Wait. Something's off. Why's he so concerned about Mikado? And… now that I think about it, his behavior before was suspicious… wait. Don't tell me-!_

"Heiwajima-san… Are you in love with Mikado?"

The blush on the ex-bartender face was answer enough. _Ah, so that's why he was following Mikado this morning…_ _That's… _"Unforgiveable!" _No wonder Mikado got involved, you damned bartender! If you hadn't fallen in love then Izaya would never have found him! And I would never have ran into him, and he would've been safe! He would have been safe if it wasn't for you.  
_

The leader of the Yellow Scarves pulled the trigger again, but the bullet did not make it to the intended target. Instead, a large black scythe appeared before them and deflected the bullet to the ground. Holding the scythe was a woman on a black motorbike, the front wheel raised as if it was a battle horse reeling to go.

"Shit! Why's she here?"

_Damn. I must've hesitated too long._

The Yellow Scarves members all ran forward to shield Kida. "Shogun! Get out of here!" Hands grabbed at Kida and pulled him back, away from the dangerous scythe-wielding woman in front of them.

_But if I had been faster…_

He watched as few of the members flew to the side from the impact against the blunt end of the scythe. He gritted his teeth. "Like hell I'll run away!" He launched himself forward, towards the Black Rider, all consequences be damned.

* * *

Before anything else can be said, Anri's cell began to ring. She looked at it, frowned, and pressed the phone against her ears. "Yes?"

Something akin to shock flashed through her eyes. A soft whisper of "Kida," escaped her lips and she glanced to the ground with guilt. It was soon replaced by worry. "I'll be there," she said.

Turning back to Mikado, she reached for Mikado's hands. "Mikado, please. No matter what happens, stay safe. Even if you end up hating us. As long as you're safe…"

"Wait, Anri-!" _What happened to Kida?_

She tossed a few yen on the table and ran out, not looking back. Mikado clenched his fists. Just what is going on?

* * *

Yagiri Nami stared blankly at the door. Someone was ringing the doorbell. She glanced over to the side and saw Izaya, who was ignoring the doorbell and spinning himself around in his chair, laughing like a manic child he was. She turned back towards the door._ I guess there's no harm in opening it…_ Still, she found herself hesitating.

No one really rang the doorbell. If someone wanted information, they knocked or called before coming. The only ones who used to ring the doorbell used to sell things, but they didn't come by here anymore, after Izaya had a little… _talk_ with them. So who was it that was ringing the doorbell now?

Then someone slammed their fist against the door and a muffled voice shouted, "Izaya-san!"

The said informant stopped spinning his chair. He blinked for a few confused seconds before bursting into a wide grin. "Go make some tea for the guest," he said before bouncing towards the door and opening it. Nami shrugged and headed towards the kitchen.

"Mmmiiiiiikkkkkaaaaaddddoooo-kkkuuuunnnn!" Izaya sang. "How'd you figure out where I live?"

Nami poured water into a kettle and began heating it up. As she watched for the slow signs of heated water, she listened in on the conversation.

"I asked the Otakus. But never mind that, Izaya-san, there are more important things!"

"Important? Like how?"

Without seeing it, Nami imagined the Cheshire grin on Izaya's face. _Like a kid in a playground, _she thought to herself. _A dangerous kid who understands how to get what he wants… No matter the cost._

"Kida! Tell me what happened to him!"

"Tsk, tsk. Are you seriously going to ask free information from me?"

Nami heard the frustrated growl and the shaky sigh that followed it. _Poor kid, probably doesn't even realize that he's stepped into a landmine. And now that I think about it, why did he come here? _Nami watched as the water began to boil. _This is beginning to remind me of… _A soft gasp escaped her lips. _The parallel between the Kida then and this kid now is giving me the creeps. _She shook her head. _You're working too hard for the idiot, Nami, _she told herself. _After all of this is over, let's take Seiji and take a little break._

Nami snorted softly under her breath_. Right. What break?_

"Alright. Let's continue our game from earlier."

"Of course! Of course! Now what would you like to know about Kida-kun?"

* * *

Anri rushed towards the hospital room that the phone call had mentioned. By the time she got to the hallway of the room, several Yellow Scarves members were already there, waiting. "What happened?" she demanded.

"The Black Rider is back," someone said. "And then…"

She nodded and ignored the rest of the explanation. Instead, her eyes settled on the name tag of the room. "Kida Masaomi."

"That idiot," she whispered before opening the door. Kida sat on the bed, a cast around his right arm. He was fighting off of few Yellow Scarves members who were trying to sign his cast. Aside from the cast and few minor injuries of the other members, they looked completely okay. She sighed in relief.

"You interrupted my conversation with Mikado," she stated to gather their attention.

"How is he?" was his immediate response to that. _Not even an apology._

"Better than what you're doing now," she countered.

He sighed. "I couldn't kill him. I shot him, but it didn't mean anything. Man, no wonder Izaya is so sick of that guy."

There was a pause as the two stared at each other. The other Yellow Scarves members slowly backed out of the room to offer them privacy.

"You know… Mikado would probably accept us if we returned."

Kida looked down at his casted hand. "Knowing him, yeah. But it's too late for us. For now, we will continue the plan and we will not waver." _Izaya's death comes first._

* * *

"What mission is Kida on now?" Mikado demanded.

Izaya watched with amusement, delighting in the way the teen's eyes shone with power. "Killing Shizu-chan, of course."

As soon as those words registered in Mikado's brain, his whole expression changed. Gone was the cold calculating powerful glazes, and in their place were understanding, worry and guilt. Just like last time, the predatory mask was shattered completely and the usual Mikado took its place.

_Or maybe the usual Mikado is a mask and the predatory gleam is his normal self?_ That thought alone fueled the informant's excitement. _I can't wait to break you apart._

"Now, why are you in such a hurry to know about Kida-kun?" _You ignored his existence until now. Could it be that you're just verifying whether it's true if Kida-kun will be a murderer? Or perhaps it has to do with Shizu-chan? Or does this have to do with the phone call Kida-kun made to Anri-chan?_

Mikado was silent for a few minutes as Nami walked in with hot tea. She handed each of them a cup before taking a few steps away, in a place where she wouldn't be caught in the crossfire, but would still be able to hear their conversation.

"Because… someone mentioned it in passing," Mikado said softly. "It sounded like he was in trouble."

_Well of course he's in trouble! He's involved with me, after all._ Izaya faked a sigh. "Kids these days," he said with a shrug. "They're always in trouble." He blew on the tea before taking a sip. Then he waited for Mikado to ask his question.

"Just what are you trying to accomplish by killing Shizuo?"

_You._ The informant smirked. _It has come to the point where everything is for you._ He shook his head and scoffed softly. _Like I'll say something so clichéd._ "Order."

"How's destroying…" Mikado shook his head, realization flashing in his eyes. "You're impossible, you know that? You're going to kill Shizuo, the unpredictable variable, and in one fell swoop, get rid of Kida as the murderer. Then Ikebukuro becomes your playground."

Izaya laughed. "You're quite good at this." _Although not good enough. You're forgetting other variables like Selty, Anri and Simon._ "Perhaps we should become partners? Ah, that's not my actual question, so don't answer that." He tapped his chin, looking thoughtfully. But in his mind, he already had something to ask. _Why Shizuo? Why Kida? Tell me… why not me? _

"Where does Anri-chan fit in all this?"

Surprise was clear on his face when he looked at Izaya. Then almost suddenly, the look was replaced by a curious fascination. "Izaya-san, don't tell me you…"

Before Mikado could finish speaking, Izaya's phone began to ring. Cursing mentally, the informant picked up the phone. The information the other wished to share with him was dumped quickly before the other hung up. Izaya frowned. When he turned back to face Mikado, the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did-?" he began to question Nami, who was pretending to be interested in the books on the shelves.

"He left," she answered curtly.

"He didn't answer me," Izaya mumbled with a pout. He stared at the closed door. _Don't think you can get away._

* * *

"Damn it all!" The Yellow Scarves members grumbled to themselves. Few of them were by Kida's side, making sure that nothing happened to their shogun. The rest were left to wander around, trying to figure out what to do from now on.

"Well now what? They won't tell us anything and we're stuck doing nothing."

"I don't know, man. The last time we tried something, it ended up as a disaster, remember?"

"That's only because Simon was there!"

"Then like, do you have another plan?"

"It's the same plan as last time: Destroy the Dollars."

"Right, because that went soooo well last time."

"Idiot! Think! We have their pictures online because of the previous incident!"

"Ah! That's like, genius!"

"Huh? Wait, I'm confused. What's going on?"

"We know what the members look like now, because the idiots all gathered, and the media took lots of pictures. Thus, we can systematically go and pick them off, one by one!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go crush all the Dollars!"

The members all looked at each other and laughed. They were so occupied in their thoughts that they didn't notice the determined looking boy until he bumped into them.

"Hey! Like, watch it!" one of them shouted at the kid.

The kid did not look phased. Instead he looked at them with a calm certainty that the members couldn't help but to feel a bit intimidated by. Then, feeling peeved that they weren't being feared, they decided to let the kid know exactly who he was dealing with.

"We're the Yellow Scarves," one of them declared as the rest of the leered. "Out of our way or we'll kill you."

"You will not harm me," the boy declared in a cold voice. "Nor will you harm any of my members or friends again."

"Your members?"

"I am Ryugamine Mikado, leader of the Dollars."

The members all glanced at each other uneasily before bursting into laughter. "You? You're the leader? Yeah right! You're just a little kid! What, did Izaya put you up to this? Don't you know? Izaya's just going to throw you away. In fact, why don't we show you what happens when you get involved with the Yellow Scarves?"

The boy closed his eyes briefly before fixing them with a calm stare. "I would like to see you try," he said with a smile.

The smile never reached the boy's eyes and the Yellow Scarves members briefly felt chills run down their backs. They shook their heads. It wasn't as if this small boy could take all of them on. Besides, knowing Izaya, he probably threw this boy in front of them to distract them. Fine. If that's how Izaya was going to play, then they would step up their games as well.

After all, they had nothing to fear.


	15. Of Rusty Warehouses and Yellow Scarves

Why is it that every time I think that this is the last chapter, the story takes a strange turn and refuse to end? Thanks for your encouraging words! Here's the next chapter!

For grimsgirl69: Unfortunately, I don't see a hardcore ShizuoxMikado happening in this story (Maybe in a side story). But if you are patient, I have a one-shot planned that would make more sense to have hardcore stuff.

I don't own _Durarara!_

* * *

The Otakus laughed together as they pushed the door open. When the wind chimes filled the air, they imitated the sound while doing a small dance move that they always did.

"Mika-chi!" Erika called for her younger brother. "Let's go eat lunch!"

"We brought some interesting looking bentos they were selling!" Walker added, holding up two plastic bags filled with bentos that the three of them couldn't possibly finish all of.

When their younger brother did not reply, the two frowned and looked around the store. "Mika-chi?" they called.

The Aidokusho owner, when he realized that it wasn't a dangerous person who could potentially destroy him (or at least not as badly as Shizuo or Izaya would), looked up and stared at them. "He's not here," he said, once the shock of the two Otakus looking under the shambles of manga books for their brother wore off.

"What do you mean 'not here'?" Erika asked.

"There was this pretty girl and they looked like they needed some time alone."

"A girl…?" Erika's mood darkened at those words. Walker edged away from her, muttering something about BL fangirls.

"Yeah. Really cute. Short bobbed hair, glasses, big set of knockers…. Not that I was looking!"

The two froze at the description. There was only one person in all of Ikebukuro who fit into that bill perfectly. But what was she doing back here? After the collapse of the Blue Squares, she had disappeared without a single word. The fact that she was here now, talking to Mikado of all people, made both Otakus uneasy.

_What does the Slasher want with Mika-chi?_

* * *

Of all the places in the world, Mikado couldn't help but to feel like an overly clichéd gangster hostage when the members of the Yellow Scarves took him to a line of warehouses next to the harbor. The pathways between the warehouses were filled with giant boxes with unidentified objects in it. Mikado made sure to note them, in case he decided to escape through them. He was guessing that they were going to the warehouse at the far end, the one nearest to the waters, because that's where all clichéd gangsters hid. 

_Right. So how come the police have so much trouble arresting them?_

"So… now what?" one of the members asked as they trotted a few feet behind Mikado. They surrounded him on all side as they lead their way towards - yes you guessed it - the last warehouse nearest to the waters.

Mikado resisted the strong urge to slam his head against something. Not to mention he had no real way to hit his head against something. _You have no plan… and you're taking me somewhere. Seriously? Okay, I change my mind. The real reason why the police haven't arrest any of you is because you're all too stupid._

"You could always verify my claim," Mikado told them calmly. "If you don't believe that I'm the leader, then all you have to do is verify it, no?"

The members looked at him as if he had sprouted two tails and an extra hand. "But how will we, like, verify it?" one of them asked finally.

_Do you even know what verify means?_ Mikado was sorely tempted to ask this question, but he still understood that his life was in their hands, so he held his tongue. "Give me a laptop and I will show you that I'm the leader."

"But how do we know that this isn't some scheme Izaya came up with? He could very easily be pulling the strings," one of them remarked.

Mikado mentally clapped for that member. _Okay. Perhaps they're not _all_ stupid._ "Simple," he said, "Because my end goal and his are completely different."

"Your… end goal?"

"Let's just say that if Izaya can control Ikebukuro, it would be rather problematic for me."

"Yeah, that like, made no sense."

The teen smiled, and the Yellow Scarves members found themselves tensing. There was that weird smile from before! Mikado, ignoring them, began to speak. "I mean I want Shizuo to live."

"But _we_ want to kill Heiwajima Shizuo," someone added. "He's a pain in the ass and he always gets in our way."

Mikado sighed and shook his head as if he was talking to slow children, clearly showing the members what he thought of them through that simple action. Their reply was to bristle and crack their fists that could potentially be used to beat him to a pulp.

"Well then, tell me this. Do you want to kill him because he gets in _your_ way or because he gets in _Izaya-san's _way?"

And blast it, the Yellow Scarves members could find no answer to that.

* * *

Shinra stared agape when he opened the apartment door for his beloved wife. There, supported by his wife, stood a bloody Shizuo… who seemed to have what looked suspiciously a lot like a gun wound on his chest.

"What happened?" he demanded as he rushed forward to help support Shizuo.

"Yellow Scarves," Shizuo grumbled.

"They have a gun now?"

Selty nodded in confirmation. They lowered Shizuo on the couch and Shinra ran to gather his medical supplies. When he returned, he noted that Selty was busy typing something on her cell and the ex-bartender looked more and more annoyed. She showed what she had typed on her phone to Shizuo, who shook his head.

"I don't know either," he growled. "That kid mentioned something about the fleabag wanting to kill me, though. Probably that stupid fleabag gave it to that kid."

Shinra settled himself in front of the couch as he ordered Shizuo to take off his shirt. As he assessed the damage, Shinra couldn't help but to think how lucky his friend was. Despite what appeared to be a rather heavy loss of blood, he was moving about as if he had just been lightly punched. _Maybe I should just use super glue and glue the wound shut…?_

Selty must've asked Shizuo another question, because the ex-bartender suddenly tensed his muscles. Or perhaps it was because he was dabbing at him with alcohol-filled cotton swab. But knowing Shizuo, the doctor highly doubted that it was the latter. He half-heartedly listened to the conversation as he continued to clean the wound so that he could take the bullet out.

"Mikado is working," Shizou said. He then became quiet, which piqued Shinra's interest right away.

"You're actually taking care of the kid?" _And you're on first name basis?_

Shizuo gave a half shrug. Shinra motioned that he was going to take the bullet out. Shizuo didn't even flinch and instead focused his attention on Selty who seemed to have asked yet another question.

"It's just… that kid seemed like he knew Mikado. And what he said…"

"Finished!" Shinra shouted, completely ignoring the fact that he had interrupted Shisuo. He gave the ex-bartender a grin before wrapping up his chest with bandages. "Just make sure to change the bandages every day, and remember to clean the wound. You don't want it to get infected or anything, right?"

The fake blonde opened his mouth to retort, but instead of his voice, his cell phone ringtone filled the air. Mumbling darkly, he looked at his phone. Frowning at the words "Incoming Call from Otaku," Shizuo accepted the call and held it against his ear.

"Heiwajima-san, there's a problem. The Slasher is back."

Shizuo raised his eyebrow. "This matters to me why?"

"Mikado was last seen with her, and now he's nowhere to be found."

Shinra watched with interest as the ex-bartender stilled, blood rushing out of his face. "Don't tell me-"

"We don't know anything yet. This might be connected to the Yellow Scarves, or some sort of revenge from the Blue Squares. We're searching the forums right now, but there's really nothing substantial we can use as a lead."

In the background, Shizuo heard the female Otakus excitedly shouting, "Wait! Wait! I've got something! Here! Someone uploaded this picture!"

The ex-bartender slowly breathed in, waited five seconds, and let it all out. Shinra watched with interest as worry and tension filled his friend's body. Then…

"I'm going to _kill_ that Kida Masaomi!"

* * *

"Drive faster, Togusa!" Erika shouted from the backseat, her hands white from clenching her fists for too long.

"I know!" Togusa snapped back as he floored his beloved van. "I know!"

"If we're even a second late-"

"Erika," Kodata said sternly. "We know. Driving into a car crash isn't going to help him."

The female Otakus did not acknowledge those words. Instead, the sound of gritted teeth filled the van. _They're saying that because they didn't see the picture. If they had, they would understand-_

"Slow down."

The other three glanced at Walker, whose face was pale, but determined.

"What? You can't be serious! Mika-chi might be in danger and you want to slow down? Remember what happened last time when he was in danger?" Erika shouted, frustration and disbelief coloring her voice. She glared at her counterpart, wondering why he was being such a coward at this moment in time.

"We can't go in there alone," Walker said. "Erika," he looked at her in the eye, "I know why you're so worried. I saw the picture, too. But the four of us can't take on all the Yellow Scarves members that have gathered there, especially if they're working with the Blue Squares."

Erika let out a loud growl. "I know that! I know it! But… if this keeps going the way it is, Mikado's-" her voice choked, and her throat clenched tightly.

"Just what was on that picture anyways?" Togusa demanded.

The two Otakus froze. They slowly looked at each other, their face showing mirror fear and worry. "They took Mika-chi to the Warehouse," Erika said softly, surprising herself at the lack of tremor in her voice.

"You don't mean…?" Kodata began.

Walker nodded. "Yeah. The one where the Blue Squares killed Saki in."

* * *

Anri stared blankly at Kida when he held up an apple and a knife. "Did you want something?" she asked as she continued to stare the blonde down.

"Aw come on, Anri! Can't you at least help your friend out a little? I can't exactly peel an apple, you know," Kida said, pushing the apple towards her again.

Her answer was to stare at him. Kida sighed dramatically, bringing the back of his non-injured hand to his forehead while tilting his head back slightly. Anri continued to stare blankly at him. When he realized that his histrionics didn't affect her, the leader of the Yellow Scarves dropped his hand and pouted.

But before any clever words could leave his mouth, his phone began to ring. Grumbling under his breath about how everyone was against him, Kida picked up his cell. _Why're they calling me…?_

"Hello?"

"Shogun! We did it!"

Kida blinked. Then in just a fraction of a second, confusion and worry flashed on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly as his mind tried to reassure him that his members weren't _that_ stupid and probably wouldn't do anything to endanger anyone. _Surely they didn't _kill_ Heiwajima Shizuo…?_

"We caught the Dollars Leader!"

Releasing a breath of relief, Kida found a grin gracing his face. "Really? You caught Izaya?"

"No, apparently the Dollars Leader isn't Izaya. In fact, he looks just like a scrawny boy that I used to pick on at school. He really doesn't look like much."

_What…?_ Something nagged at the back of his mind, but Kida pushed it aside. _No way. It can't be. This is probably a joke._

"But it's his name that catches your attention."

"Name…?"

"Yeah. Something about a Dragon Emperor or something."

Blood fled from his face as his hand dropped the cell. "You've got to be kidding me!" Despite the force behind his words, his voice was barely above a whisper.

_Mikado loves that fleabag._ Shock and blind panic filled his being at the sudden reminder of Shizuo's statement. _No! That can't be. This has to be a lie. A big fat joke. There's no way that Mikado… _

Brown eyes darted madly around the room until they landed on Anri, who looked back at him with a confused look on her face. The smiling face of a young girl flashed in his mind, reminding him too clearly of a past that he wasn't supposed to have. _"If Izaya-sama asked me to, I will kill myself. Because I love Izaya-sama." _

"We need to save Mikado!" _I won't let him end like Saki!_

* * *

Orihara Izaya stared at the Warehouse with a frown. _They think they can take what belongs to me?_ He shook his head at the mere thought of the Yellow Scarves members daring to touch what was his. _And to think they'll bring him here, of all places._ And of course, there was the other stupidity of posting a picture of the kidnapping online. _Like they're begging to be put down like dogs._

With his usual confident grin in place, Izaya pulled the rusty doors apart. As soon as the sound of the metal gates moving registered in their minds, all the Yellow Scarves members in the room turned to face the door.

"Orihara-san," someone said.

But Izaya ignored him. There was only one thing in his line of sight, and he refused to let that person disappear again. As he made his way towards that person, who was sitting on the edge of what looked like a higher platform, the Yellow Scarves members parted the way. _Cowards._

"Who started this party without me?" he asked casually as he continued to make his way towards that one person. No one dared to answer him. In fact, he would have gone as far to say that they weren't even breathing.

That person looked back at him with slight curiosity in those predatory eyes. Izaya mentally shivered. _Let the games begin._

"Izaya-san," the person said with a polite nod. "We were just discussing you."

"Is that so? I'm flattered. Usually, it takes forever to shut you up about Shizu-chan," Izaya answered back with a smirk. Inside, he couldn't stop his heart from leaping at the thought that Mikado had been talking about him.

"It was about Shizuo," Mikado said, causing Izaya's smirk to drop within seconds. "We came to a mutual understanding that it isn't Shizuo who is standing in their way. It's you, Izaya-san."

There was a short moment of pause as Izaya's brain finally processed Mikado's words. The Yellow Scarves around them all tensed and backed away, fearing the possible consequences. Only Mikado looked bored, but the predatory glaze in his eyes never changed. Izaya softly breathed out. Then…

He laughed. It was just too funny. Here was the one person in the whole world that he could never refuse, the one person who could turn his legs to jelly, his brain to goo, his thoughts into cliche nothings. And this one person was telling him, the best Informant in Ikebukuro, that he was no longer needed in this world. This one person was going to get rid of him, just as he had tried to get rid of Shizuo. _Oh Mikado, you only had to ask._

The Yellow Scarves flinched and huddled closer amongst themselves, as if that would save them from his laughter. _Fools. Nothing will save you._ When he could breathe again, he turned back to his Mikado, a brilliant smile on his face.

"Ah, you. You always confound me so." He shook his head, chuckling lightly. "You wanted to get rid of me, so you enlisted the help of these idiots?"

His words sparked anger in the mob, but their fear for him held them back. Izaya mentally rolled his eyes. "These cowards wouldn't even dare touch me."

He knew his words to be true. He knew it in his bones, his heart. He just couldn't understand why Mikado would make such a simple mistake. Surely someone who was an enigma such as Mikado wouldn't make this kind of elementary mistake?

Then he saw it and understood. Out of all the people in Ikebukuro, and possibly out of it as well, Izaya prided himself as being one of the few people in the world to have seen the complete change of one Ryugamine Mikado. And once again, right in front of his eyes, he saw the change from the cold predator to the soft, polite boy.

_Don't tell me-_

No one had to. He heard the motorcycle roar over the panic of Yellow Scarves members. He whipped his head back and saw the black bike and its rider by the open warehouse doors. And in the sidecar of the black bike was the one person he couldn't stand seeing. Izaya snapped his head back towards Mikado, whose whole face had lit up like a little child's in a candy store.

His heart did not break from seeing such love and devotion from Mikado directed at Shizuo. His resolve was not shaken. He did not physically flinch back and went after Shizuo's throat. No, Izaya did not do any of these things. That would have been undignified. That would have been inelegant. That would not have won him any points in Mikado's eyes.

Instead, he did the next best thing.

Izaya grabbed Mikado and ran out the side door of the Warehouse, leaving the Yellow Scarves to deal with both Selty and Shizuo.


	16. Of Endings and Operator

Thank you everyone for sticking with this story, especially Sissy, who helped Beta for a while. I loved every thought and review that appeared in my inbox; they always make me feel giddy and happy, and always encourage me to write more.

With this gratitude in mind, I announce the final chapter for _If We Ever Meet Again_.

Recap: After the Yellow Scarves took Mikado to the warehouse where Saki was killed, Izaya kidnaps the Dollars Leader before any commotion can begin.

I don't own.

* * *

Izaya's hold tightened around Mikado as he made his way between one of the alleyways of the warehouses. If he had stopped to consider his position, he would have realized how pathetic this all seemed. But he didn't have time for that. Mikado was there, in his arms, and all the informant wanted was to get away from the commotion of the warehouse. Of course, if he had actually stopped to consider his position, he would have noticed one other thing: Mikado did not struggle.

The informant easily pushed the younger man against the wall of the warehouse, and then proceeded to trap Mikado between his arms. Izaya grinned down at him, power surging through his veins.

"Well lookie that," he purred to his prey. "Your flimsy plan fell apart quite easily, don't you think?"

Izaya giggled, the adrenaline still pumping in his veins. He faintly realized how insane he sounded, but he pushed it far away from his mind. His prey was in front of him, and he wasn't about to let this chance go by.

"You really need to think these through, Mikado," Izaya added with a mocking shake of the head.

But Mikado did not flinch nor acknowledge the suffix-drop. His face had returned to the cold mask and those damned predatory eyes were watching the informant like a toy. It was unnerving.

Before any words could leave Izaya's mouth, multiple loud roars of vehicles filled the air. From the small gap of the warehouse, the informant could make out faint traces of cars. _Don't tell me-?_

He heard the engines of the vehicles being replaced by the sound of a man. "Help Heiwajima-san and the Black Rider!"

_Dota-chin._

Then footfalls and flurries of bodies ran past the alleyway, towards the warehouse entrance. And suddenly, Izaya _understood. _Disbelief flooded his senses and he took two stumbling steps away from Mikado's sharp gaze.

"You…" It took a few more seconds to get his mouth to work again. But when it did finally work, he couldn't stop the excited grin that spread across his face as the words flew from his mouth. "You planned all that! You knew they would come. You knew this would distract the Yellow Scarves! You _knew_. All this so that we could be alone together? How sweet of you."

The corners of Mikado's mouth curved into a soft smile, although it never reached those cold eyes. He took a step forward, but Izaya's eyes were glued to the younger man's mouth. The informant unwillingly took few steps back, trying to keep the distance between them the same.

"Granted, I didn't expect Shizuo to appear," Mikado admitted as he took another step forward, certain in his movements. "Nor did I expect to see Selty-san."

Izaya's back hit against the wall of the warehouse. Still, Mikado continued his trek forward until the two were chest to chest, Mikado about half a foot shorter than Izaya. But the cold gaze never left Mikado's eyes, even as the two breathed the same air.

"But yes, I did plan all that just so we can talk," the younger man whispered.

The informant did the only thing natural. He leaned forward, ready to close the distance between them. But before his mouth could land anywhere near the Dollars Leader, the sound of a gun click filled the air. Izaya froze, feeling something hard pressing against the left side of his chest. From his peripheral vision, he knew without a doubt that it was the Glock 17 he had given to Kida Masaomi so long ago.

His eyes flickered from Mikado's lips to his eyes. _Terribly mean, Mikado. To be so close to me, only to leave me hanging._

"I thought we were talking, Mikado," Izaya said. There was no anger in his voice, no frustration. Just amusement. Mikado looked back up at him with his infinite calm.

"We will," the younger man said. "I'm just making sure that you're not going to delude yourself any longer."

A soft hiss left the informant's mouth as the Glock's nuzzle dug into his chest. And despite the damning position of this situation, Izaya couldn't help but to feel strangely content.

* * *

Erika and Walker stood side by side by the entrance of the warehouse, staring at the massive fighting in front of them. In the middle of the warehouse were the Black Rider and Heiwajima Shizuo, both clearing the ground with ease. They've long lost track of who was fighting whom, who was winning. It just looked like a bundle of bodies, crashing into each other.

"Why do we always get involved in this war?" Erika gritted in-between her clenched teeth.

Walker turned the crowbar in his hands. "We just have bad luck like that. At least this time, we have both the Black Rider and Heiwajima-san helping us."

"That doesn't make war better." She glanced over at Walker and swung her spiked baseball bat to get the feel for it. "It just ensures that we're the winning side."

"Of course, not that we were _ever_ on the losing side," Walker added, mirroring the swinging bat with his crowbar.

With twin grins on their faces, they ran in, prepared to destroy anyone who got in the way of rescuing their brother. They were so focused on their rampage that they missed the entrance of the Yellow Scarves Leader and the Slasher.

* * *

Shizuo threw yet another body behind him as he searched through the prongs of bodies. He knew people were yelling all around him, but he had no time to pay attention to that. There were more bodies piling into the warehouse, and he was getting lost in the swarm of bodies. _Damn you, Yellow Scarves. Damn you!_

Body after body, the ex-bartender easily picked up and threw aside without caring for whose side they were on, as he continued his frantic search for his-. He stopped. _My what? What does this make Mikado to me?_

"Heiwajima-san!" Shizuo whirled around at the sound of that voice. _Like hell I'll forget the voice of the one who shot me!_

Unfortunately, there were just too many bodies to pick out the fake blonde with the gun. With an angry snarl, he shoved those in front of him away. But before he could take a step, a girl appeared before him. He knew he had seen her somewhere, but he wasn't too sure where. But there was something about the way she bowed, very politely, before pointing towards the side exit of the warehouse, that tickled the back of Shizuo's mind.

"Heiwajima-san," the girl said. "Mikado-kun isn't in this building. Leave the small fries to us. Please rescue him."

_You know him too?_ The thought was in his mind, but Shizuo had more important things to do. Mikado was here somewhere, taken by the Yellow Scarves, who were, no doubt, being controlled by that stupid fleabag as usual. With a nod of thanks to the girl, he ran towards the exit, freely throwing different bodies aside.

_Hang in there, Mikado. I'm coming._

* * *

Anri returned to Kida's side, who was looking at the mess of fights with a pained expression.

"I hoped things wouldn't turn out this way," he admitted to her without looking at her. She did not reply but shared his sentiments.

"But I guess some past wasn't meant to be buried." He sighed softly before turning to face her with his infamous flirtious smile. "Dance with me?"

Anri drew forth her blade in answer.

* * *

"Alright Mikado," Izaya declared finally. "You got me. What's your grand scheme from here?"

"Obviously, I'm going to kill you," Mikado said nonchalantly.

The informant held back a giggle. Instead he shook his head in wonder. "So you started a war. After all, what's another corpse in the midst of a gang war?" He leaned forward, ignoring the way the gun dug into his chest. Staring into those too blue eyes, Izaya grinned. "I wonder what Shizuo would say if he knew you started this war for me." _How very romantic of you. _

"Ah but Izaya-" The informant's ears perked at the sound of his name without a suffix attached to it. "- who will know? Dead men tell no tales."

"You will never be happy with Shizu-chan, you know," Izaya said, changing tactics. He leaned back away from Mikado, away from the warmth.

Blue eyes narrowed at him. "I love him." What was that painful throb of his heart?

"Love doesn't mean happiness."

"Cute words. I'll make sure to put it on your tombstone," Mikado said.

Izaya heard the gun click, and pushed for his final words. "Do you know why you'll never be happy with Shizuo? It's because he doesn't know who you really are. You always hide yourself from everyone behind a mask. I don't know why the mask is there, but I know that you have one. You two might be happy for a week, maybe few months. But the guilt will eat you away. You won't be able to face him. All your secrets, all your masks, will chain you away from Shizuo. Or even if you could fight away the guilt and be able to face him with no shame, he will sense something. He will begin to question you. And well, it should be obvious what happens after."

Mikado smiled at that; this time, his eyes reflecting amusement. Izaya's heart skipped at the sight. "And I suppose you think that that won't happen with you?" the Dollars Leader asked.

Izaya's eyes caught a flicker of movement at the alleyway's mouth. _Tch. That stupid lug is here already?_ With a grin, he pulled closer to Mikado, knowing full well that they looked like they were kissing in that position.

"I've already seen both your sides," he whispered.

And just as the informant planned, the person at the mouth of the alleyway spoke up. "Mikado?"

With that one simple word, the predatory mask shattered completely. Wide blue eyes turned to stare at the blood-covered ex-bartender, horror most likely pumping through his veins. And using this moment to his advantage, Izaya hit Mikado's gun-holding hand, easily knocking the Glock 17 into the air and snatching it. Before Mikado could fully turn back around to the informant, Izaya held the gun against the young man's head, and wrapped the other arm firmly around his chest.

"IZAYA!" came Shizuo's war cry.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Shizu-chan! My finger just might… _slip._"

The ex-bartender froze, his face flushing with rage. But he didn't dare move from his spot.

"Shizuo," Mikado said, attracting both the men's attention. "I'm glad you're safe."

And Izaya couldn't take it anymore. How was it fair? He was the one who has seen Mikado at his worst, at his best, both sides of the mask. He was the one who _knew_ and _understood_ the young man. But why did Mikado always shower _Shizuo_ with his attention? Why did Mikado always speak to _Shizuo_ in that loving tone of voice? Why couldn't Mikado share that warmth with him?

Before anyone else can move or react, Izaya fled, Mikado held tightly in his grasps.

* * *

"You know, this is getting old," Mikado declared.

The Dollars Leader could feel Izaya's grin without seeing it. "I know," the informant assured him. "That's why, we're stopping here."

Izaya let Mikado go and took two steps away. The blue-eyed man looked at him confused. They were standing by the other side of the warehouse, by the seaside. Mikado was standing two steps away from the ocean, with Izaya blocking his way to any exit with his gun. A quick glance around told him that the cars, most likely from the Dollars members Kodata brought, were parked by the warehouse entrance, and blocking any view from there to here.

_And with all the fighting in the warehouse, they'll probably not hear the gun_, Mikado thought to himself. _Tch. If only I had shot earlier…_

"Now, let's continue our talk," Izaya said.

_You know, I really haven't cleaned as much as I should have. I've really only dusted once. Ah, I haven't even wiped down the computers. I wonder how Selty-san and Shinra-san would react to the mess. They should be back soon. I wish I could've cleaned a bit more before they came back. I don't want them to be disappointed in choosing me to take care of their apartment. After all, it's all thanks to them that I was able to meet so many people and encounter so many adventures._

"Shizuo is a poor choice of a match for you. You need someone who can stand by your side as an equal. Not someone you need to babysit."

_Erika-nee and Walker-nii wanted to start watching a new anime series with me. We were going to have a party, all five of us. Kadota-nii probably would have made that annoyed look at us but relented at the end, because that's the kind of person he is. Togusa-nii probably would have complained loudly but then sat with us, a magazine about Ruri-san in his hands. All of us would have had so much fun, even if we didn't all admit to it._

"That's why you should look at this in a logical standpoint. Intellectually speaking, Shizuo is way below your level. All he is, is nothing compared to what you can be if you… Well that is, if you stood by someone else."

_I haven't gone to visit Simon at the Russian Sushi in a long time. Did I ever thank him for taking care of me on my first day here? If it wasn't for him, I probably would have died a long time ago. I should cook him something, too. Speaking of which, I don't think I ever picked up my paycheck from Aidokosho's owner. Hehe, silly me. How could I forget?_

"Think about it, Mikado. Is it really worth having to hide who you really are to be with Shizuo? Think about it, is there anyone in the world who you've shown your true self to? Well, it certainly wasn't Shizuo, now was it?"

_I was able to cook something for Shizuo only once. That's not fair at all, especially with all the food he's bought for me. It was so wonderful, going to different restaurants with him. And I was supposed to buy him furniture so that his apartment wasn't so empty. I wonder why he was willing to buy me food when he doesn't have enough money to buy furniture. He's… too kind of a person. Izaya's right about that, we're not a good match. I don't deserve someone so kind and sweet._

"So why not pick me? I'm right here, Mikado! I've seen you. I've seen what you can do, what you're willing to do. So pick me! Mikado-"

_Even if it's selfish, I love Shizuo._

Mikado ran forward, hurling all of himself at Izaya. It had the effect he had expected.

_Bang!_

* * *

The sound of gunshot snapped Selty's attention. A quick glance around her told her that Shizuo was nowhere to be seen. _Odd, he was just by my side. _If she had a head, she would have frowned. Instead, she just rushed towards the entrance. After all, she and the others had effectively brought the fighting to a halt.

Bodies of both Yellow Scarves and Dollars members were sprawled everywhere. _We should probably call an ambulance or something_, she thought guiltily. But there was something more important. If the Yellow Scarves have a gun… Then there was only one person whom they could've possibly shot.

Selty prayed to whatever deity was up there to protect that person.

_I'm sorry, Mikado. If I hadn't asked you to come to Ikebukuro…_

* * *

Mikado slumped forward, his forehead hitting Izaya's chest. Izaya had only one moment to blink and wonder what had just happened when Mikado's hand reached up and grabbed the Glock from Izaya's hand. Blue eyes set in hard determination looked into Izaya's startled ones.

"Mikado!"

_Why does that stupid lug always-?_

Izaya felt the heavy body ram into his, causing the informant to plunge to the ground, the gun knocked out from his hands. When he could catch his breath, he looked up to see Shizuo cradling Mikado to his chest, looking deathly afraid. But Mikado just smiled up at the ex-bartender, with that same loving gaze he always held for Shizuo.

"I'm okay," Mikado was telling that stupid lug. "It only grazed me, is all."

When he was reassured, Shizuo gently placed Mikado on the ground and turned to face Izaya. The informant grinned. "You don't deserve him," Izaya told Shizuo.

Then with a flurry of movement, Izaya lunged for the Glock 17 and leaped into the ocean. _I'll never let you have him._

* * *

By the time Selty made it through the throngs of cars, she found Shizuo walking towards her with Mikado in his arms. The younger man's eyes lit up at the sight of Selty, and the Dullahan was graced with the sight of a happy smile. _Thank goodness._

"Sheesh! And here I was worried we might have to spend the next year in the hospital!" Walker joked as he walked side by side with Erika, both had dropped their weapons before coming out. The two looked relieved and immensely happy, despite probably being tired from the crazy fighting. Behind them, Kadota stood smiling gently at the scene.

And near the back were Kida and Anri. But after a few seconds, the two turned away and left. _Odd, I wonder why they were here. And why didn't they stay?_

Those questions were pushed aside from her mind as her good friend and her employee arrived. If she had a head, Selty would have smiled at them. She supposed she would just have to show her smile with her movement instead.

* * *

"Shinra-san is a doctor?" Mikado asked as the group sat in Selty and Shinra's apartment. Mikado was currently situated on Shizuo's lap, the two sitting on a loveseat together. Selty was standing to the side, watching the scene with amusement. The otakus and Kodata was sitting on the long couch, and Togusa was sitting on a chair, conversing with Selty through her cell phone. Shinra, meanwhile, was running around with his medical kit, trying to look at everyone's wounds.

"Yeah, I know. He looks more like a mad scientist, doesn't he?" Walker said sniggering as Kadota flinched at each dab of disinfectant on his wounds.

"I'm only a mad scientist as a part time job," Shinra said with a bright grin.

Mikado wasn't too sure if he was joking or not, but he figured that he didn't have to know. He just happily leaned back into Shizuo's warmth, content to be alive.

"Well _I think_ the better question is," Shinra said as he continued to dab Kadota's wounds. "When did _that_ happen?" he gestured towards Shizuo and Mikado.

Everyone looked at each other, wondering where to begin. Then Shizuo snaked his arms around Mikado and with confidence declared, "Since the beginning."

And no one could find a way to dispute that, even if they wanted to.

* * *

"Kida," Anri said, standing a few feet away from the fake blonde who was placing the flowers down.

The said blonde looked up and gave her a sheepish grin. "You heard, huh?"

"You disbanded the Yellow Scarves," she stated. She always stated things, there was never a question.

"I can't take care of them when I can't even take care of myself," he said, looking away from her and down at the flowers.

"You can't come with me."

"I'm not going to ruin your Saika group," he said with a laugh. When the laughter died, his eyes turned sorrowful. "I'm going after Izaya-san. He may have disappeared for now, but who knows what he's planning now."

She didn't answer, just stared at his back. Then with a soft puff of breath, she strode forward until they were side to side. "None of this was your fault."

He nodded slowly, disbelief obvious in his movements. His eyes didn't stray from the grave marker in front of him. "I wonder what she would have said in this situation."

_She would tell you to stop being depressed. She would tell you to just obey Izaya-san. She would beg you to stop what you're planning to do, because it would probably involve hurting Izaya-san. You know what she would say._ Instead, Anri looked up at the sky. "She will tell you to move on."

Kida glanced at her for a second before smiling. _Liar,_ he thought. But out loud, he only had one thing left to say. "Thank you."

He turned back to the grave of the one girl he ever loved. The same girl he allowed to be killed in front of his eyes. _This is goodbye forever, Saki._

And in the faint whispers of the wind, he swore he heard her gentle laughter calling him a fool.

* * *

It was only two weeks since the warehouse event, and yet already the streets of Ikebukuro had forgotten the great battle. The streets were back to gangs just hanging out, threatening those around them, although no one wore yellow scarves anymore.

"Shizuo!" Mikado greeted the ex-bartender before jogging to catch up to the smoking man.

The said man quickly put out his cigarette and took off his sunglasses. When he turned to the blue-eyed man, he couldn't stop the soft smile forming at his mouth. "Shall we?" he asked, holding his hand out.

"Yes!" Mikado said with a giggle and took the offered hand. "Did you pick which furniture we're getting first for our apartment?"

"A bed."

Blue eyes widened at that. "A… B… b-b-bed?" Mikado stuttered as his face turned beet red.

"Yeah, I want you to be comfortable at night. Hm? Why're you so red?"

The Leader of Dollars covered his face with his free hand. "N-nothing! Nothing at all!"

There was a small pause before Mikado recovered enough to peek up at Shizuo. There were three words in his minds that he repeated over and over again, but he would never have the courage to say it out loud. Instead, when Shizuo looked down at him with curious eyes, Mikado would just smile softly and they would both think of the same three words that neither can say out loud, never have said out loud, and never will say out loud.

If one asked Ryugamine Mikado which three words he could never say was, he would blush and stutter, before glancing shyly at Shizuo and declaring, "It's a secret."

Fin.

* * *

**A/N**: If you wanted this story to have a happy ending, please stop reading here. If you would like to know how this story leads to _Operator_ and why this story's title is "If We Ever Meet Again," read on.

* * *

Mikado turned on the laptop that Selty had gotten him when he moved into Shizuo's apartment. Two years since Hellish Graduation, and he finally felt like he had a handle on life. First of all, he had siblings who would back him up if anything went wrong. He had Selty and Shinra, who were similar to parental figures. He had a grand adventure, and almost died three times within the past year and a half. And best of all, he was living with a man he loved, although they've never uttered the three sacred words.

With a soft smile on his face and satisfaction fueling him, he logged into his usual chat that he hadn't had a chance to get on before.

_Kanra has logged on._

_Tanrou has logged on. _

**Tanrou**: Hello Kanra-san. How have you been?

**Kanra**: Oh, Tanrou-kun! I thought you were never going to log back in after you moved to Ikebukuro!

**Tanrou**: Sorry about that.

**Kanra**: I guess real life is treating you well now?

**Tanrou**: Appears so.

**Kanra**: Not fair! You guys are always having fun off-line without me and I'm always just hanging out here. Tanrou-san, entertain me!

**Tanrou**: Oh right… uh… there's this joke.

**Kanra**: Better yet, meet me!

**Tanrou**: Meet you?

**Kanra**: Yes. Why not? We live in the same district and you never play with me!

Mikado frowned. Well, Shizuo _was_ at work working, and it wasn't like Mikado was busy at the moment. What did he have to lose?

**Tanrou**: Where?

* * *

Mikado walked slowly into the park area, his eyes darting from one side to another, trying to locate Kanra. _I wonder what she looks like? She said I'd be able to tell as soon as I saw her…_

"Kanra-san?" he called out as he walked towards a bench. _I guess she's running a little late._ He sat down, hands crossed in front of him. He closed his eyes and hummed a tune of an anime opening under his breath. _Walker-nii and Erika-nee are coming over today for our weekly anime-a-thon. I should buy something for us to snack on while I'm out. And while I'm at it, I bet I can surprise Shizuo by picking him up after his work!  
_

"Ah, Mikado. You made it."

Blue eyes snapped open at those words. That voice. His heart thudded heavily with fear. _Why? Why are you here? Why now? Where were you hiding before this?_

"Izaya," he whispered softly. His mouth felt dry as he turned to stare at the informant, who was smiling down at him.

"I'm so glad you agreed to meet me."

_Meet…? But that means…!_

"You're Kanra-san?"

_But I always thought Kanra-san was a girl? _The humor of that thought was immediately quashed by Izaya's predatory grin. Mikado squirmed slightly. There was no doubt about it. That was Izaya, alright. No one else could put Mikado on defense like this.

"What's wrong? You haven't change to your other self yet," Izaya said as he sat down casually next to Mikado. "You know, you were rather rude before. Without considering how I might feel, you ran off before you can give me a proper answer." The informant proceeded to place his hand around Mikado's shoulders. "And I do so hate being left in the dark."

It was then that Mikado felt something poke his side. A quick glance down revealed that it was metallic. _A gun…? Tch. I really should have shot you when I had the chance._

"So I'm going to make this _very_ easy for you," the informant continued as if he wasn't pointing a gun at him. "Choose."

_So basically if I chose Shizuo, you'll shoot me? You've got to be-_ Mikado took a deep breath. _No. Calm down. There has to be a way out…_

Izaya's smile stretched into a smirk. And if Mikado wasn't panicking earlier, he was now. What could he possibly do? What could he possibly say? There was a strange glint in the Informant's eyes, and the Dollars Leader had a hard time figuring out a plan. Mikado licked his lips slowly, watching as the Informant's eyes trailed after the tongue. He shuddered, wishing desperately for the arm around his shoulders to be someone else. Someone…

_Shizuo._

"Phone call," Mikado said finally. "Let me make a phone call."

The informant frowned slightly. After a small contemplation, he shrugged, the smirk returning to his face. "Here," he said, handing Mikado his cell. "But you might want to hurry it up. My finger's getting _oh_ so tired."

As if to remind him, the gun dug into the blue-eyed man's side. Mikado took a deep breath, pressing the familiar buttons on the cell without looking at it. He then brought the cell slowly to his ears, waiting for the rings to end.

_I'm sorry, Shizuo. But this is the only thing I could think of. I'm sorry. And if you're reborn in another life, please don't change. Because if we meet again, I'll be someone who can stand by your side. If we ever meet again… _

When he heard someone pick up on the other end, he spoke without being prompted. "Operator, will you please help me place this call?"

Fin.


End file.
